100 Little Tokkas
by Marla.and.RubyT
Summary: Another list of Tokka one-shots just for you!
1. 13  Ice

**Hi people! And welcome to me and Marla's humble, little version of all those Tokka 100 prompts you see out there. Hopefully there will be something in ours that stands out to you enough to review, but then again, you never know. A quick special thanks to Skrybble whos awsome Tokka 100 inspired us to get off our lazy bums and start doing our own. Also if it wasn't for them we would've never found the Tokka prompts (Which in case your wondering, you have to google. So dont go looking for a complete list somewhere here on Fanfic).**

**Anyway, we've decided to start with number 13-Ice, dispite RubyT's irrational fear of the number. I'm not even kidding, she won't even ride the bumper cars if she gets stuck with number 13. Its adorable...**

**Btw, we own nothing! We don't even own the show on DVD because we are too poor. We have to steal our friend Celeste's; and she has a knive collection! Its like trying to steal candy from Mai! We have the scars to prove it!**

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#13- Ice

Each year, on the anniversary of the end of the Hundred-Years War, they would all reunite for one long celebration, as well as to discuss political issues such as rebellions and peace treaties.

Of course Toph only cared much about the former. Tonight would be the third anniversary so far, and if it was anything like the last ones, she'd already be plastered by midnight.

The first party, exactly one year from the wars end, took place in the new Firelord's palace. Nobody had expected Toph to be much of a drinker, but the whole night, as Aang and Zuko discussed the battles against small ragtag teams of Ozai loyalists, she spent it sneaking drinks away one by one.

The only one who had noticed was Sokka, but he was far too interested in what drunk Toph would be like to actually stop it. Needless to say, the palace's ballroom was never quite the same again. Metalbending, although quite useful in the right situation, had quickly proven to be _very _unhelpful when it came to preventing large amounts of expensive property damage.

Zuko had declared it the last time they'd ever hold the anniversary celebration in his home.

The next year, they had all met at the Western Air Temple. Guests arrived by airship in such large numbers that all of the pounding feet quickly gave Toph a headache. Although by now she had "learned her lesson" when it came to alcohol, the fourteen-year-old girl quickly threw these lessons to the wind when faced with exactly how irritating the party was. The way she saw it, if she had to wear a dress, then she'd better have enough liquor in her system to forget about it.

That temple, to this day, will never quite look the same.

So now here she was: riding by ship to the location of the new anniversary party where she couldn't wait to raise hell. She was fifteen now, and just like the years before, nothing was going to get in her way.

At least this is what she thought before they landed.

Although she couldn't see it, each direction seemed to stretch out endlessly into the horizon with only mountains of sleet and snow to show for it. Up ahead there were buildings made entirely of carved ice that, although not nearly up to the standards of the Northern Tribe, would impress anybody with functioning eyes.

Unfortunately, Toph didn't quite belong to this club.

Of course the true weight of the situation didn't hit until she had taken her first step off the safety of the ship's metal floors and into the invisible world of the snowy tundra.

Her heart froze (pun intended ;p). She was suddenly blinded and, if the howling wind didn't quiet down soon, she would be deaf as well. A bone-chilling breeze clawed its way past her well-bundled little body, and froze her to the spot. Luckily she was not alone.

"Toph!" she could make out a voice calling as she hugged herself desperately for warmth.

"I-I can't b-believe you c-convinced me to c-come here s-snoozles," she grumbled, as Sokka began to lead her into the village. "I'm here f-five minutes and I c-can't even f-feel my t-toes."

He looked down and was amazed to see the pale-white skin of her feet scuffle quickly across the snow.

"Toph, you can't walk around barefoot out here! You'll catch frostbite!"

She tried to scoff, but was quickly cut short by another blast of frozen air. "I-I thought t-that maybe there w-would b-b-be some k-kind of e-earth under all t-this snow," she explained though chattering teeth.

He sighed. "Come on," he muttered as he picked her up off the ground and began to carry her into the village honeymoon-style.

"L-let me d-down Sokka!" she protested, although did nothing else to voice her displeasure. "I-I can w-walk without y-your help!"

He rolled his eyes. "Just let me carry you back to the hut. You can borrow a pair of Katara's boots before we meet the others."

She sighed, rubbing her feet together as they dangled in a desperate attempt to keep them warm.

Finally when they reached his igloo, he laid her down gently on one of the pillows they used as furniture in the small building and turned to rifle though his sister's stuff.

Toph quickly muttered her thanks when he returned with a pair of fur-lined snow-boots that ended up being a bit too large for her feet.

"Whose stupid idea was it to have a party in the South Pole anyway?" she grumbled, grabbing a blanket off the floor to rap herself in.

"Mine actually." Sokka looked over his friend and watched the anger boil behind her dead eyes. "I'm sorry Toph. I just figured that since we couldn't go back to Zuko's place and the air temple was out of the question, it would be nice to hold it here."

"Oh, and I guess that you just forgot that I'm blind!" she spat, gripping the blankets until her knuckles began turning white.

He sighed. "Actually no…I just thought that maybe if you were more focused on what you were doing, we could spend this year actually catching up for once instead of me holding back your hair while you blow chunks."

Toph pouted. "I'm not that bad…"

"Oh come on! Last year you almost jumped off the mountain screaming, 'Look at me fly, Aang! Watch me fly!'" he mimicked while flapping his arms in a bird-like motion.

"I'd rather do that than have to listen to you drone on about your perfect life with that little Miss Kyoshi-wannabe."

"Well you don't have to worry about that anymore. Suki left me."

At this there was silence. The cool wind howled outside, preventing any outdoor noises from entering, and leaving the two in their own privet bubble. Even through the thick, skin boots on her feet, Toph could still feel the lifeless ice beneath them. How anybody could call the torturous landscape a home was beyond her.

"Fan-girl left you?" she asked softly, wondering if perhaps she had touched a nerve.

He answered just as quietly, "yeah."

"What happened?"

Sokka rubbed his face as he remembered. "Well…I'm not sure. One day we were fine, and then suddenly she just didn't want to be together anymore. She said we were drifting apart or something."

"Oh," was all that she could say as she waited for Sokka to go on.

He sighed, somehow not noticing as another freezing blast of air tumbled though and hit Toph like a speeding rhino. "I guess I should just consider myself lucky that she could even stand a guy like me for so long…I really thought that she was the one…"

Toph twisted uncomfortably, wishing more than anything that she could see the expression that went with such a sorrowful voice.

"I guess we're just a couple of losers…" she muttered, her voice barely audible above the howling winds outside.

"We?" he asked, turning to better see the shivering lump that had just spoken. "What are you talking about? You're Toph Bei Fong: greatest earthbender in the world. You couldn't be loser if you tried."

Beneath her man-made cocoon, Toph sighed. "Snoozles, you have no idea…"

They remained quiet for a second, allowing air to fall into the conversation. Toph hugged herself tighter, silently praying that he wouldn't follow the conversation down the trail any father.

Finally the girl's violent shaking was too much for him, and Sokka scooted over and rapped his arms around her to help her get warm. Unfortunately this move had caught her off guard and her first impulse was to elbow him harshly in the side, with which he responded with a deep 'oof'.

"Sorry!" she quickly apologized as he backed away, clutching the spot she had hit so suddenly. "I didn't expect that. You have to remember I'm blind now, thanks to you."

"No problem," he half-spoke, half-wheezed.

Finally when he had caught his breath, Sokka asked her the question that froze her heart faster then any ice cube ever could. "It's a boy isn't it?"

"No," she replied too quickly to possibly have been the truth.

"Its okay Toph, you can tell me."

She hesitated, thinking up a proper response. If only he hadn't trapped her on this stupid hunk of ice, she'd already be downing her third drink by now and falling into a sweet, drunken stupor. But here she sat, freezing to death in a giant block of invisible ice with the one person dancing around the worst possible subject they could talk about.

"It's none of your business," she finally replied for lack of a good excuse.

"Do I know him?" Sokka asked, now determined to discover who it was that was so important they could possibly make the great Toph Bei Fong feel like a loser.

"No!" she chirped. "I-I mean there isn't anybody to talk about so how could you possibly know him?"

Sokka leaned in close in an attempt to see the expression hidden beneath her raven-colored bangs. "I do know him!" he concluded.

Toph quickly buried her head under the blankets in a feeble attempt to cover her reddening face. "Leave me alone," her voice demanded in a muffled tone. "I'm too cold."

He leaned back against his arms, a triumphant smile spreading from cheek to cheek. "See Toph?" he chimed as the lump sitting next to him sunk deeper into itself. "Isn't this more fun then getting drunk? Now we have all night to talk about stuff like this."

Beneath the blankets Toph moaned. "I hate ice…"

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**Aww, poor Toph. Sokka can be so mean sometimes... Just give the poor girl a drink already! -RubyT**

**Ignore her people. I'm pretty sure shes an alcoholic. -Marla**

**RubyT glares at her, but Marla just shrugs.**

**...An akward silence...**


	2. 31 Family

**Thats right people! Time for #31- Family**

**We don't own any rights to anything, so don't even bother asking.**

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After they had finally came together and passed all of denial and jealousy and awkward moments - after all of the mistakes and the love triangles and the tearful confessions – there now stood one final challenge between them. A test so great, that it could very much destroy all hopes of any type of future for the two of them. A trial so fearsome, he almost dared not even brave it, had the prize not been so worthy.

This ancient ceremony, both passed and failed by countless others before, now remained the last obstacle between him and his bride to be. If failed, such strife and heart-break would have all been for not; but if handled well…

Suddenly Toph's small, yet powerful, fist slammed into his arm, snapping Sokka away from his inner monologue. "Would you relax already?" she asked, the hand-carved betrothal necklace sparkling in the sunlight around her throat. "You're just meeting my parents, I think you'll survive."

The two currently stood outside the gates of the Bei Fong estate, silently bracing themselves for whatever may come. From the grounds, several servants eyed them suspiciously, but otherwise paid no mind.

Sokka gulped. "But what if they don't like me?" he wondered, fiddling with the hem of his suit nervously. "They could stop the wedding."

"You read the letter; they're going to stop it anyway if we don't do this. Just convince them you're good enough for me to marry and we'll be out of here in no time."

He looked over to her; admiring the new dress he doubted he'd ever see her wear again. "You'll vouch for me, right?"

"What does my opinion matter? I'm just a helpless little blind girl, remember?"

Suddenly the gates cracked open, revealing a well-groomed servant that seemed to tower over them in height. "Can I help you?"

Toph quickly brushed the bangs from her face and stepped forward, not having to say a word. Instantly the man recognized her and opened the gate wide for both to enter. Sokka stumbled in behind, trying, and failing, to look as prestigious as possible.

She elbowed him in the gut as they followed the servant into the house, whispering for him to act normal. He almost replied, but was quickly stopped short as they were greeted by an older man introducing himself as Toph's father.

"Hello. You must be Sokka. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Actually we've met once before; when I was with the Avatar."

Both he and the women to his side quickly scanned his face for any sort of recognition, but upon finding none, merely motioned them into dinning room.

There, Lao quickly took his place at the head of the table with Poppy to his left and Toph to his right. Sokka sat next to Toph nervously, looking from her mother to her father uneasily. Immediately from the kitchen came several servants to place bowls of soup before each of them before shuffling away without a word.

"So you wish to marry my daughter?" Lao spoke calmly, mere seconds before the last of the servants had disappeared.

"Yes sir," Sokka replied, stealing a glance at Toph, who had already began to dig into her soup despite being the only one to do so.

He quickly noticed a strong difference between each of Toph's parents. While Lao continued to glare at him, scrutinizing every detail, Poppy merely gave a weak smile as she glanced between Sokka, to her daughter, and back again. When Lao finally did lift the spoon to his lips in a gentle motion, his eyes continued to study him without hesitation.

"Toph dear," Poppy spoke, breaking away some of the tension. "Your dress is lovely. It's a shame you don't wear it more often."

Toph shrugged. "Thanks mom, but it's not really my style."

"Nonsense. Doesn't it look lovely on her Sokka?"

He shifted uncomfortably, feeling Toph's unseeing eyes blaze into him, as if daring him to say the wrong thing. "Um, well…yes of course, but personally I think she's beautiful no matter what she's wearing," he stumbled as a response.

Both women smiled warmly, finding the answer acceptable. From behind another spoonful Lao grumbled, "Clever boy…"

Another awkward silence passed as Sokka finally began to eat as well, uncharacteristically being the last one to do so. Lao set his spoon down softly, clutching his hands together as he spoke. "So, Sokka right? Where exactly did you say you were from?"

"The South Pole."

Lao's frown deepened. "So I assume that you'll be moving somewhere here in the Earthkingdom. Obviously such a harsh climate is no place for somebody in my daughter's condition."

Toph tensed a bit, but managed to appear unfazed by his comment.

"Actually I've been living with Toph since the end of the war." Her father raised an eyebrow at the notion, and Sokka quickly fought to correct himself. "I-I mean I'm living with her in the Earthkingdom. We aren't living with each other specifically; just in the same general area…"

Under the table, Toph kicked him hard in the shins, which he was forced to hide with a suspicious cough. She bit her lip; it didn't take earthbending to know how bad a liar he was.

Lao stiffened, now burning daggers into the boy. He opened his mouth to speak, but was suddenly stopped when his wife's delicate hand reached out to rest upon his shoulder. She didn't say anything, but only gave him a small nod. Lao sighed and quickly changed the subject.

Toph didn't have the best relationship with her mother, but right then she could've kissed her she was so relieved.

"So," he began, the evil look in Lao's eyes terrifying Sokka unlike anything else he's ever known. "Just tell me; why exactly would you like to marry my daughter?"

Several more servants arrived out of the kitchen to take away their empty bowels and quickly replace them with their main course for the evening. They disappeared a second later; evaporating just as fast as they had arrived.

"Well sir, Toph and I have known each other for a long time and I can honestly say that there is nobody else that I'd rather spend the rest of my life with," he answered slowly, now concentrating hard on just what was coming out of his mouth.

Lao took a small bite of his roast duck, then dabbed his mouth with a napkin before continuing, in an attempt to appear calm. "Are you aware of the vast fortune and status you would stand to gain from such a union?"

Sokka smirked a bit. "The giant marble statues were a good hint," he answered, earning him another swift kick in the shin, this time even harder then before. "Ouch! Spirits Toph I was just kidding."

She flashed him a look that, if possible, was even more terrifying then her father's. He suddenly straightened up; purposefully looking just to the right of her parents, as opposed to meeting either of their gazes. "But really, I don't care about your money. I just love your daughter and would very much like to spend the rest of our lives together."

Both ladies' expressions suddenly softened, telling him that he had once again redeemed himself in their eyes. Lao even seemed pleased with this, his cold expression melting just barely.

Sokka continued, seeing that he was finally on a roll. "Honestly I don't even care if we get any money at all. I mean obviously with the baby coming we should probably get something to help start us out, but after that…" Suddenly he felt another jab of sharp pain in his leg, this one easily twice as hard as the others. "Ouch! What I do now?" he asked before suddenly catching the looks on everyone's face.

Poppy covered her gasp with her hand, her usually calm eyes now bulging out of her skull. Toph dared not raise her head, hiding her expression under her massive bangs.

"What baby?" Lao demanded, now rising from his seat with a look that could kill.

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Outside, after Sokka had finally skidded to a stop from being literately thrown out the door by the guards, he laid there patiently as Toph walked up beside him.

"Wedding or not, I'm keeping this necklace," was all she said before earthbending him to his feet and dragging him as far away from the Bei Fong estate they could get.

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**Hehe. Well wasn't that fun? Please review, it would make us really happy!**


	3. 35 Games

**Okay, here's a really short one. Dispite its upbeat theme, me and RubyT decided to take a different approch to the prompt. Its a bit of a stretch, but we both think it turned out okay. So heres #35- Games:**

**Oh and by the way, neither me nor RubyT own Avatar the last airbender. We're not sure if we should still do these disclaimer things, but we figured we might as well.**

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'It's just a game,' he reminded himself, 'something to entertain ourselves with. Either of us can walk away from it at any time; no harm, no foul. It's all just a meaningless little game. Just because I'm not about to tell Suki about it doesn't necessarily make me wrong; after all, what she doesn't know can't hurt her, right?'

Sokka wondered alone though the forest; collecting firewood while repeating in his mind the same logical fallacies that always helped justify his actions. Back at camp, Toph sat waiting, warming her hands against the glow of the fire.

'It's just a game,' she reminded herself, 'something to entertain ourselves with. I know he has Suki waiting for him back home, but he left to fight the rebellions with me. We needed to do _something_ to help cope with the stress. These games mean nothing to him, so why should I feel any different?'

Arriving back at camp, Sokka carefully dropped the firewood into a small pile before taking his place around the fire and next to his friend. "That should last us a while," he said softly, basking in the warmth. She nodded, still mauling over the private mantra in her head.

Neither was quite sure how it had all began; but they knew it didn't happen overnight. It started out innocent- a flirtatious comment, a small smile, glances that lasted a little too long- but somehow it had all blossomed into something that neither one would dare discuss back home. But it was still a game, right? Its all in good fun; just a way to cope with the loneliness.

Near the crackling fire, Toph suddenly leaned against his shoulder as they sat. He smiled, mentally reminding himself that she was probably just cold, and rapped an arm around her without speaking.

She blushed, mentally reminding herself that it was just a friendly gesture and nothing more, and closed her eyes. They sat like that for a while, not saying anything as they both mauled over the events that had taken place earlier that day.

It had been a particularly gruesome battle. An army of at least thirty had ambushed them as they were hiking towards the rendezvous point in Taku. Most of their attackers were firebenders, and those who weren't were heavily armed; however, none of these men were very well trained, and the duo easily overcame them. Other than a slight wound on Sokka's shoulder, both came though unscratched. Unfortunately, their enemy had not been so lucky and he and Toph had been left with the unpleasant task of giving them a proper burial.

Needless to say, it had left them both in a sober mood.

Against the quiet of the night, Sokka buried his face in her hair, inhaling the scent of blood and dirt that seemed to always cling to both of them no matter how hard they scrubbed. Both longed for the days where they could fly away on Appa and move on to the next big distraction; but here in the forest it was only Toph and Sokka, desperately clutching at any form of comfort they could find.

They had soon discovered that the best distraction was each other.

Skip ahead later into the night beneath the solitude of Toph's rock tent. Sokka lay on his back, eyes closed, holding her close as she rested her head against his bare chest. Neither suspected the other awake.

Suddenly, against the silence of the night air, he heard her whisper; speaking words she'd never say had she known he was awake. "I think I love you Sokka," she muttered gently, leaving him unsure if she was merely speaking to her dreams. "I know you love your wife, but I still love you."

Sokka froze; his heart stopping. This was still just a game…right?

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**There you are. A bit more angsty then the earlier two, but if you didn't like that then wait until you read #67- Death. Its not finished yet, but the prompt alone begs for tears, right? We hope you liked this one, dispite how much shorter it is. If you review we promise you cyber cookies!**


	4. 78 Drunk

**That right people, time for another Tokka drabble! This one is #78- Drunk. Now we may have mentioned something about the prompt Death, so for those of you wondering what happened to it, its on the backburner for now along with Moon, Traditions and Control. This means we know what to do with these prompts, theyre just not coming out very well. Sometimes too many ideas can be an even worse killer than writers block.**

**RubyT looking though binoculars, "Shit!"**

**Marla, "What is it?"**

**"Lawyers."**

**"Are they from Nickolodian (however its spelled...)"**

**Takes another look. "Yep. Unleash the DISCLAIMER!"**

**Marla dives under the ocean and opens a giant cage; unleashing the disclaimer monster. The monster rampages and attacks Nickolodian studios.**

**"That should keep us safe...for now." DUN DUN DUN!**

**...sorry...**

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Despite what anybody who had attended the Firelord and Lady's wedding reception might have told you, Sokka wasn't much of a drinker. That's why when he woke up first thing in the morning to find his sister and several other "concerned friends" all gathered around in his living room, 'irritated' didn't began to explain how annoyed he was with her.

"Its okay Sokka," Katara spoke as if coaxing a frightened animal, "we just want to talk to you."

"Can't I at least bathe first?" he grumbled, running a hand though his loose hair. The crowd studied him, taking note of his disheveled appearance. He still had on his street cloths from last night, now sticky from the dried alcohol, and his left eye was severally blackened from where he had obviously taken a heavy blow to the face. Both eyes were blood-shot and although they couldn't see it, he had a headache so bad he felt it would rip his face in two.

Katara shook her head firmly and patted the seat next to her on the couch. He sighed and reluctantly planted himself there between her and Suki; looking around to see who all had come. There was his sister and Suki, first of all, and then Aang seated on a chair close to Katara, followed by Iroh to Suki's left with Mai and Zuko sitting directly across from where he sat on the couch. The only absent face was Toph's, which, if Katara's meeting was for exactly what he suspected it was for, wasn't surprising in the least.

After all, it was her fault they were here. Like he said, Sokka didn't see himself as much of a drinker; Toph on the other hand…

"Sokka, we're here because we care about you, and we're worried you may have a drinking problem," she began, patting his hand sympathetically.

Sokka rolled his eyes. "I don't have a problem," he protested.

Across from them, Zuko crossed his arms as he spoke. "You ruined our wedding reception," he growled, both he and his wife glaring with a combined intensity that could melt glaciers.

"And my tea shop," Iroh added.

"And my sixteenth birthday party last week," Katara jumped in.

"Not to mention our relationship," Suki said softly, having the last word.

He couldn't help but give them all a bitter smirk. Of course he'd get all the blame; didn't he always? Why didn't anybody remember that it was just as much Toph's fault as it was his? Even more her fault if you'd ask him; if it wasn't for her, none of those things would've ever happened.

"And its not just alcohol," Aang chimed in nervously.

Katara instantly agreed. "He's right. I couldn't count how many nights I've seen you come home with spirits-knows what in your system…"

Sokka rubbed his aching head as she continued ranting. He didn't deserve this. He hated drinking; it dulled his senses and made him act like an idiot, not to mention Toph had somehow made it her mission in life to get him into a fight with the biggest guy around _every _single time they went out. Never was he more thankful for having found his space sword, then on nights out on the town with her.

As for the drugs, he hated them with an even stronger passion. The weed made him paranoid and the opium visibly ill; not to mention he still had nightmares about giant crab-lions (he didn't even know if there was such a thing) eating his face off after Toph made him try those damned mushrooms. How she managed to bounce back so quickly from all of these things was beyond him.

Still drowning out his sister's speech, his thoughts turned to the last time he had been out drinking with Toph; or what he could remember from it at least….

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"Come on snoozles, just one more!" she slurred, shoving another drink in his face. The bartender gave them each a passing glance, but knew better than to say anything.

Sokka clumsily shook his head, shooting her a lopsided grin. "Nah, I-I've had enough. I can't get drunk tonight or Katara will kill me," he stuttered.

Toph hiccupped. "Well thanks anyway for coming out with me. You're a good friend Sokka."

"Come out? You literately dragged me here! I don't know why I let you talk me into this stuff all the time."

She suddenly flashed him a mischievous smile that he knew could never fit on a sober person. "Because –_hic_- you're an addict."

He slammed down the now empty glass he had already forgotten rejecting moments earlier and shot her a glare that, in his state, came out far more humorous then threatening. "I'm not an addict, why do people keep saying that? _You're_ and addict; I'm not addicted to anything."

Still grinning ridiculously, she chuckled. "Yes you are," she replied in a sing-song voice. "You're addicted to me!"

They both burst out laughing. Suddenly a man sitting nearby interrupted their drunken banter with an irritated shout. "Hey, would you shut up already?" he snapped.

Toph wurled around to face him. "Why don't you –_hic_- make me, you ugly bastard?" she retorted, despite not actually being able to see what he looked like. Outside the conversation, Sokka choked on his drink, surprised by her sudden language.

The man looked away. Toph sneered and continued to antagonize him, much to Sokka's horror. "Come on you –_hic_- spineless son of a bitch, hit me right here! Take your best shot!" she said a little too loudly, pointing to her jaw. "I'll bet you've never –_hic_- hit a girl before!"

He looked up, a puzzled expression on his face as he met her blind gaze. "Look, I don't want any trouble, but if you don't shut your trap I might just have to give you some, '_Miss_'" the man explained, emphasizing the last word in a mocking tone. Several eavesdroppers chuckled, as if he had just said something hilarious.

Toph scowled and shouted a number of curses at the poor man. Finally the stranger shot out his fist, which, somehow, she managed to duck just in time to avoid; however Sokka hadn't been so lucky and the man's hand connected with his face with a sickening thud.

Sokka laid there on the floor for a split second, too stunned to move. But when he had regained his senses, he quickly jumped up and unsheathed his sword. The man at the bar stood up in alert, but finding no source for a weapon as well, he quickly turned and made a mad dash for the door.

"Yeah you better run!" he shouted, waving the sword around for emphasis, and in doing so, forcing many nearby people to duck as it sliced the air above their heads.

Toph smiled. "-_hic_- Come on Sokka, the nights not over yet! Lets –_hic_- go have some fun!"

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"Are you even listening to me?" he heard Katara say; fully marking his transition out of the flashback.

He blinked. "Huh?"

She sighed, rolling her eyes in frustration. On his left, Suki laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Sokka, can you just admit that, maybe, you have a problem?"

He thought for a moment. Sokka defiantly didn't see himself as an addict. The only reason he did those things was because Toph was out doing them anyway. Why weren't any of them at her house? All he ever wanted to do was accompany her to make sure she was safe; its not his fault the girl was persuasive.

"No," he answered finally. "I don't even like drinking."

"Then why do you go out every night?" Suki asked patiently.

"Because I can't just let her go on her own. I know she can take care of herself, but it's dangerous out there. Just look at my face!" he pointed to his blackened eye and swollen cheek. "If she'd been any slower, then Toph would be the one looking like this."

A strange look crossed over the crowd. "Sokka…what are you talking about?" Katara asked, all former annoyance draining from her expression.

"Toph. I only drink when I'm out with Toph. Ever since she came back from her parents' she's been extra rebellious. It started out with the scams, then stealing, and then she started going out to the bars. You all should be thanking me! Nobody else seems to even care what she does, so I'm the one out every night looking after her at my own expense."

The room was dead silent. Sokka glanced from face to face; every one with that same odd mixture of confusion and sympathy. Something wasn't right with they way they all stared at him. Where was Toph anyway? Was she in trouble? He tried to remember more of the night before, but couldn't recall anything past the bar fight.

"Sokka…" Katara finally broke the stillness; tears threatening to erupt from her familiar, blue eyes. "Don't talk like that Sokka, your scaring us."

"Talk like what? It's true; I was out with Toph last night. Go ask her yourself." Something pained him deep inside as he said this, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Suddenly and without warning, Katara rapped her arms around her brother, pulling him into a deep hug as tears streamed down her cheek. Suki also did the same, both girls embracing him tight. Zuko and Mai remained silent, while Aang reached out and patted Sokka's knee. Iroh, mysteriously unfazed by these events, simply gave him an understanding nod.

Then it hit him, much too hard for his liking. Sokka stiffened in his seat and his face dropped.

"Sokka," Suki pulled away from him, careful to look him in the eye. "It's okay. We're all taking it hard…"

It had happened after she had returned to live with her parents. He could remember it now - suddenly receiving that letter in the mail, gathering the troop back together, the short journey to Gaoling, the ceremony - everything suddenly rushing back at him like a speeding train. How could the worlds greatest earthbender fall to something as meager as an unnamed disease? Toph wasn't supposed to go like that; not at fifteen, not without her friends.

He remembered that girl in Toph's dress, lying in a wooden casket. No, she wouldn't have been buried in wood; she deserved to be in the earth, surrounded by her native element. Come to think of it, this stranger didn't even look like Toph. Her face was too pale, and her eyes were just a bit too dull. This imposter couldn't even get her hair right; it was loose around her shoulders rather than up, and her bangs weren't in her face; her bangs were always in her face. No, they had the wrong girl; that couldn't have been his friend in there.

"But…she was there last night. We got drunk together. She got me in a fight. She said…"

'You're addicted to me!' he heard her chuckle with that drunken glee.

He slumped, burying his face in his hands. Both girls patted his back. "But…" he mumbled, more to himself than the others. "She was there. She was always there…"

* * *

**Thats right, things like Drunk and Games translate into angst... At this rate I wouldn't be surprised if Death ends up a sing-along. Its not, because that would be stupid (Marla- but you have to admit it would be pretty funny), but really we've been a little much on the angst lately. Not just in these drabbles but in every other story we've been writing as well. Weird...**

**We're not quite sure if we liked the way this turned out, but thats what reviews are for right? Oh that reminds me -throws out cookies for all- enjoy these tasty treats! And no this is not a bribe...I dont even know the meaning of the word!**


	5. 61 Façade

**Okay heres another one based on the prompt Facade. Maybe we totaly failed at fitting the prompt, or maybe not, but this story actually goes a little deeper then just a Tokka. Elizabeth, if your out there reading this, this story is dedicated to you and Brian. Even the Ty-Lee character is based off of your friend Tina, so please enjoy this startling renactment of your everyday life.**

**Disclaimer "meh, I don't feel like it today..."**

**Marla glares. "Come on! I dived under the freakin ocean for you! Cant you just hold them off for one more night?"**

**"Its 2 AM in the morning! I'm allowed to be tired!"**

**Marla sighes. "What if we go get cherry brain-freezies together?"**

**Disclaimer monster nods and he and Marla go skipping down the street.**

* * *

After the war, while Aang and Katara had left to live in the South Pole and help rebuild, and Zuko and Mai had returned to the Firenation, Toph really didn't have any place to be. Sure she returned home to her parents for a little while, but after all that freedom it had became impossible to readjust to her old life. That's why when Sokka had suggested she move with him, Suki, and Ty-Lee back to Kyoshi Island, she eagerly agreed.

It was fine she supposed; nothing to complain about, really. She always enjoyed hanging out with Sokka, listening to his cheesy jokes, teasing him in front of his friends. Who knows how many hours they spent together, just gabbing about anything and everything. Even Ty-Lee wasn't _too_ bad; although Toph preferred to avoid the girl, she did have her moments.

Suki, however, was another story entirely. It was nothing personal, Toph just couldn't help thinking her life would be much easier if she would just go and get eaten by sharks already. She didn't know why the girl irked her so much; in fact since the day they've met the two hardly spoke two words to each other. Maybe it was Sokka's fault; he always described her as _too_ perfect, they were always a little _too_ in love, a little _too _happy. It was so bad, that every time Toph even heard her name on his lips she just wanted to punch him in the groan.

She didn't _love_ him or anything though. That kind of thing could annoy anyone, right? Ty-Lee certainly agreed with her and their new friend Choi (nicknamed foamy for his unusual habit of foaming at the mouth whenever he became over excited) even admitted to being more than a little irked by the two lovebirds, despite knowing Suki for years.

But even that wasn't nearly as bad as when they _weren't_ happy. After every little fight it seemed Sokka would go whine to Toph about just how awful it was. And every single time she would feel some strange flicker of hope deep within her, only for it to sting ten-fold when they managed to work things out. The rollercoaster-ride feeling she received from such an event was enough to make her avoid all human contact for the rest of the day.

Now, however, it was just her and Sokka sitting down near the beach, reminiscing about old times. These days were the best. Just the two of them, best friends, sharing a nice moment together laughing and joking under the sunset in those few minutes they had before dinner would be ready back in the Kyoshi barracks where, despite not being a warrior herself, the girls had made an exception and allowed her to stay with them while Sokka lived there with his girlfriend.

"And do you remember the airships? Man we kicked ass then, didn't we? Just the three of us taking down a whole fleet on our own," Sokka recalled, punching his fists into the air to emphasize their awesomeness.

Toph laughed, burying her toes deeper into the sand. "Yeah, right up until that last part. Did you ever get your sword back?"

He frowned. "No. I never found boomerang again neither…you know, we never did talk about that."

"Talk about what?"

"When we were about to die out there; before Suki came to rescue us," he looked over at her, studying Toph's expression as he spoke. "Do you remember what you told me?"

She looked away. "That doesn't matter. It was a long time ago."

He shook his head. "No really, you said that…"

Toph interrupted quickly, "I said it didn't matter! That was a long time ago, and I don't feel that way anymore. Besides, it was mostly just near-death talk; people say crazy stuff in situations like that."

Sokka shrugged. A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between the two as he sat staring into the setting sun. "I think Suki's going to break up with me…"

At his words, that mysterious flutter of hope batted its way into Toph's stomach, much to her horror. "Why would you say that?"

"Because of that fight we had not long ago. She already broke up with me once, remember? I figure it's just a matter of time before it's over for good."

"But that was for, like, two days. I'm sure you'll be back to playing tonsil hockey soon enough snoozles, so I don't wanna hear any complaints from you."

Sokka smirked. "Who says we've stopped?" Toph elbowed him in the gut and he released a small 'oof' of pain. He glared at her for a split second, rubbing where her elbow had made contact, but quickly his expression returned to normal. "But seriously, I know she's gonna break up with me any day now."

She shrugged. "Oh well. You loose some, you win some."

"Gee, thanks," he deadpanned. Another silent minute stretched between them as he thought. "But, did you really mean what you said that day on the airships?"

Toph blushed, a small part of her deep down inside suddenly being awakened, much to her disgust. "Who cares? That was a long time ago. Besides, it's not like you ever liked me back..."

Sokka sat up, blue eyes focusing on hers, despite them being useless to her. "I did like you Toph. I always like you…"

She tilted her head up, letting her hair fall into her face like it always did. "No you don't. You like Suki, remember?"

"But I really do like you Toph," he said, pushing a strand of hair away from her face. She blushed, smiling dreamily.

Suddenly they heard someone clear their throat loudly from behind and both jumped. In her head, Toph silently cursed the sand around her for not properly warning them of Choi's untimely arrival. Sokka turned around and smiled broadly at the man.

"Sorry to ruin your little moment here, but Suki asked me to come tell you both that dinner's ready," Choi announced, making it clear he knew exactly just what had been going on between them.

Sokka instantly jumped up from the ground and made a dash for the barracks, throwing a 'thanks' in Choi's direction and an 'I'll see you at dinner' for Toph. With the moment now ruined, she sighed and began to stand as well.

"Uh, Toph can I talk to you a minute?" he asked, helping her to her feet.

"Sure Foamy, what do you need?"

He looked back behind to make sure Sokka was out of sight before continuing. "Were you and him having…a moment?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"Your not getting any crazy ideas now, are you?"

Toph hesitated for a minute. She actually did have a few crazy thoughts floating around her mind suddenly. Admittedly Sokka was loud, obnoxious, and _always_ managed to say the wrong thing; but suddenly the thought of being with him didn't seem so terrible…

"Well don't read to much into it," Choi said softly after a long enough silence had passed between them. "You know he's the exact same way with Ty-Lee, right?"

And just like that, an already beaten down dream was quickly shoved away. "Really?" she asked, although she already knew he was right. She had seen it herself; he was always really good at making it seem like he had a real connection with people.

"Yeah. Those two are always flirting like that when Suki's not around. Seriously Toph, Sokka may be a good friend and all, but he doesn't _really_ like you. That's just Sokka being Sokka. Why you think he's got all the other ladies after him?" Choi smirked a bit, "it's certainly not his looks."

Outwardly, Toph thoughtlessly agreed, seeming to toss her thoughts away carelessly. "Yeah, your right. He is kind of a man-whore, aint he?" She smiled, "come on Foamy; let's go get some dinner before snoozles over there eats it all."

He grinned, following her as they began making their way back to the mess hall. Although not a warrior himself, Choi happened to be one of the finest cooks on the island and was more than happy to help them with any meal the ladies found particularly difficult. Tonight happened to be one of those nights as Sokka, through many days of pleading with Suki over menu schedules, had finally gotten his wish for the stewed sea prunes he had missed so dearly.

Inside the mess hall, Toph quickly found that Sokka was the only one eating them; the other girls all brushing them aside in favor of everything and anything around that could possibly smell more fragrant. To his left sat Ty-Lee, but oddly Suki was no where to be found.

"Of course I like you Ty-Lee," she heard him say, putting down his spoon long enough to gently touch her arm.

The girl blushed, giggling slightly to herself before Suki suddenly returned from the other room. Instantly Sokka withdrew his hand and returned to his meal before his girlfriend joined him at his other side.

"Hey Toph!" he called to her, motioning for her to take an empty seat across from him. She scowled, and instead turned and burst back out though the door. The dusk air felt good around her and Toph quickly decided that she wasn't too hungry after all…

* * *

**There you are. Not our best, but like we said this is for our friend Elizabeth.**

**Oh, and because we love you all and feel very generous tonight, we have decided to start doing shout outs starting from the last chapter onward.**

**Herobending**- we're very glad to have helped feed you, and your thirst for Tokkangst. We're not sure if this story is very angsty, but if it isn't we have about 95 more prompts to go, so hopefully there will be more rivers of tears to come.

**Ann Bei Fong-** thank you for your encourgement in our neverending battle against those Nickolodian-lawyer demons. luckily our little monster was only attacking the law offices, so that Bryke will be able to still work on The Legand of Korra without interuption. But seriously, thank you for reviewing, we've been kind of swamped lately so we haven't yet read your Tokka 100, but when we do we'll be happy to review.

**.riles-** yes, super angst partys are always enjoyable. did you really come up with a story based on something we did? -sniff- we feel so special now! we'd love to hear about what you have in mind! please message us sometimes if you ever get around to doing it.

**moonbeamsanddaydreams-** thank you. honestly we mostly started writing that piece as just kind of a standard drunken Tokka fic, the ending wasn't formulated until about halfway though the story, so maybe that had something to do with it. we're glad you liked it so much.

**So there are you're shout outs. Will we do them in our next chapter? Who knows! Its 2 AM and neither of us are ready for bed yet, so let that party continue! And remember Tokka fans, keep Tokkin!**

**Marla- "Keep Tokkin? You seriously did not think that one out at all did you?"**

**RubyT- "No I did not..."**


	6. 71 Moon

**Hello folks, and welcome to another Tokka prompt. Moon...thats right, good ol' Yue is gonna be making an appearence. We tryed to keep the story as orginal as possible, but if we didn't we apoligize ahead of time. And just so you all know, both me and Marla are on a seasonal holiday down in dixie. Thats right, we're in Tennissese (however its spelled...) untill further notice, so don't be worried if updating is put on hold for the rest of the week. WiFi don't grow on trees you know.**

**MEANWHILE, back at the anti-lawyer fortress of solitude...**

**RubyT is huddled in a coner holding a flashlight. Suddenly the window above breaks open an several zombie-like hands reach for her. "We're here representing Nickolodian studios..."**

**She screams and throws a random piano at them. "We own nothing!" But more lawyer-zombies began to close in on the house.**

**"Marla where are you?..."**

* * *

They attacked at dusk, ambushing the small two-person team from all sides. Twenty men heavily armed with explosives and weaponry of all sorts; had cornered them on all sides, blocking any chance of escape.

However, the duo was not caught off guard, as previously believed. Both stood for them to arrive, already dressed for battle. A lesser man would've seen no threat: twenty soldiers against a single young man and a small, blind earthbender. The concept seemed laughable. These men weren't just any small ragtag team of Ozai Loyalists; they were well organized and well trained.

The man unsheathed his sword; an abnormal black color, exhibiting properties as unique as its owner. The woman stood unarmed, the ground beneath her feet all the ammunition she needed as she manipulated it to her will with ease. Of all the anti-rebellion forces implemented by the new Firelord and the Avatar, this small duo was perhaps the most dangerous of all.

The first man ran at them with remarkable gusto, slicing the air with a pair of dual blades which he yielded with amazing precision. From behind, five archers stood as far back as they could, sending arrow after arrow into their direction. Sokka quickly disarmed them while Toph dealt with the man, avoiding his swords with ease. Somewhere a bomb exploded, and Toph silently prayed that it wasn't close enough to ruin their campsite.

Within minutes she had lost track of her partner; not an unusual feat, as it was easy to loose track of anything in the midst of a battle in which you are so severally outnumbered. She quickly dodged a man wielding a curved sword and sent a bolder his way, possibly crushing his ribcage in the process. From behind another man attempted to sneak up on her, however she beat him to it, kicking the ground and sending a giant rock to catapult him up into the air.

Finally, after the last of the men where either dead or retreating, then did she notice his absence. "Sokka?" she called for him, only to be met with a sickening silence. "Sokka!" she called a little louder, panic lacing its way into her tone.

"Over here…" he mumbled, far too quiet for somebody with average hearing to comprehend. She stumbled over immediately to where he sat, at the base of a towering oak tree, and tried to understand just what was happening. He coughed, a bit of blood splattering onto his shirt.

She could feel his form leaking blood unto the ground in tiny amounts; nothing fatal under normal circumstances. However if his injuries were internal, there was no way she could hope to save him out here in the middle of the forest. He was a dead man- they both knew this without speaking.

"Toph…can you help me back to camp?" he managed, his breath shallow and unsteady. She nodded and gently picked him off the ground. Beneath his skin, she could feel busted bones slide under the surface of his flesh as his entire form ached for stability. In her mind she tried to piece back together just what had happened out there that could've lead to this type of injury.

She remembered being surrounded by three men with hammers, each one busting up the rocks she threw towards them with ease. They had busted all of them…all except one. What happened to that bolder? She vaguely recalled hearing it mush into somebody else. Could it have been him?

Toph bit her lip as she helped her friend back into camp; two small rock tents and a fire pit placed close to a small stream useful for drinking water. She sat him down close to the stream as the last remaining light from the sun faded into non-existence. From where he lay, Sokka gazed up at the full moon above and sighed. It was such a beautiful night…

"Don't you dare close your eyes, snoozles!" she demanded. He opened his aching lids wider to see as she brought a cup of water to his lips. "You're going to be fine. Now drink."

He obeyed; choking as she forcefully poured the liquid down his throat. She muttered an apology as she set the cup back down, but he paid no mind and merely looked past her and up at the moon, its radiant glow haunting.

"Toph…I have a crazy idea…" he muttered, eyes still focused on the moon with full intensity. "Do you remember when I told you about Yue?"

She raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Yeah…"

"Well…this is gonna sound strange, but I'm dead either way right? What's there to loose?" She cringed at his words, but said nothing. "Place me in the stream."

"What?"

He smiled bitterly. "Desperate times call for desperate measures…"

Toph bit her lip. She knew it was foolish, but desperate times really did call for desperate measures. As carefully as she could manage, she lifted him up off the ground (cringing as a small snapping sound erupted from somewhere on his body) and dragged him into the stream. With another cough, more blood splattered from his lungs and onto the both of them, not that they cared much at this point.

"What do I do now?" She asked, being sure to cradle his head above the surface of the water.

Still looking up at the moon (was it just his imagination that it had somehow gotten brighter?) he replied that he didn't know. "Say a prayer or something."

"This is so stupid," she mumbled, with him secretly thinking the same thing. "I don't even know any prayers."

"Then make one up. Just hurry, this water is really cold."

She lifted her head upwards to where she assumed the moon would be. "Um…Yue, I never met you or anything, but I was kind of hoping you could help me out here. You see, Sokka's badly hurt. You remember Sokka right? Well he could really use some moon spirit magic healing power right about now…"

His eyelids suddenly slipped closed and he let out a soft moan. In her hands she felt his pulse slow to almost nothing and she choked back tears, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood.

"Please! I'm just so sorry; I didn't mean to do this! It was an accident; I should've paid more attention! Just don't let him die Yue, please! Please help him! He's my partner in crime, my best friend! I don't know what I'd do without him! Please! I'll do anything, just save him; don't let him die like this! I love him…"

Then suddenly his body went limp and his heart stopped. She froze, tears streaming down her cheeks in waterfalls. Above, the forest remained unnaturally silent.

"No…" she breathed, utter despair quickly settling where hope once was. "…I love him…"

Another heartbreaking moment of silence crept by before suddenly she felt it: the soft thump of his heart as it awoke from its sickening slumber. Weak at first, it quickly picked up pace, thumping stronger and stronger with each beat. Then she felt him draw a shaky breath, his body trembling as it struggled for oxygen.

"Sokka!" she cried, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. His body no longer felt broken, but instead as strong, if not stronger, then before as he returned her embrace. Around them, the cold stream soaked them both in and out, but neither cared as they held each other tight, not daring to let go.

"That…felt really weird…" he mumbled, tears of joy streaming down both of their faces. She laughed, wiping her cheeks dry as they helped each other up and walked back into camp.

"Thanks Yue…"

* * *

When morning rose Toph and Sokka woke up in each other's arms, still laying in their drenched clothing from the night before, now stained with dried muck and blood. "Toph?" he muttered, face buried in her thick, black hair.

"Mm hmm?"

"Did you really mean everything you said last night?"

"Yeah…"

He smiled. "I thought so…"

"What about you?" she mumbled.

"What about me?" he replied teasingly, earning him a playful jab in the chest. "Oh…well not to sound cheesy or anything, but yeah…I think I love you too."

She smiled, turning around to face him. Sokka peered down at her face; her milky green eyes seeming to bore into him, despite being blind. He reached up and pushed away a strand of raven-colored hair from her cheek, before pressing his lips to her hers in a deep kiss.

* * *

Moments later, after they had both rose and began to start the day; Toph was shaken as a blood-curdling scream erupted from outside the tent. "Sokka?" she called, bursting out and running in the direction of the sound.

"My…my hair is white!" she heard him exclaim, studying his reflection in the water.

Toph chuckled. "That's it?" she asked, approaching him as he continued poking at his scalp. She paused a moment, pretending to scrutinize his new appearance. "I think it looks sexy," she said casually before walking away.

He turned back to his reflection. "Really?" he wondered, cocking an eyebrow and smirking. "Well I guess it…Hey!"

* * *

**Yay, fluffy ending! Thats a nice change of pace for us. Thank all you guys so much for reviewing, and it would be extra-special-fantastic if you all kept at it.**

**Marla (in a crazy, demon voice)- WE FEED ON YOUR COMMENTS!**

**Now, about this story (cuz we's feel talkative). You know how this happened? Well for roughly a week now, me and Marla have been working on this big, epic story about Sokka, Toph and Ty-Lee all going to the North Pole and there was going to be a huge winter solstice festaval and Yue and Toph getting sea-sick and Foamy making another appearance and all kinds of fun stuff. However, it was taking way to long to write and everything seemed forced and it just started to become this horrible blob of a story that fed on our misery. The dialoge was a complete nightmare and for whatever reason we had the hardest time keeping Ty-Lee in character...**

**Then something amazing happened. Around midnight (creepy huh?) we both suddenly got this lightning strike of a story. It was like some weird twin-telepathy thing! Marla then looked at me, and I looked at her and we just kind of pieced the entire thing written above in less than an hour. It was awsome! And we guarentee its a hell of a lot better than that other one. I shudder now even thinking about it...**

**So we hope you like this, because remember: it could've been a lot worse ;)**


	7. 60 Costume

**Hey people, who's ready for some more Tokka brand chocolately-goodness? Thats right Tokka is chocolate-flavored - Kataang? Cotton candy. Maiko? Like eating a handful of red-hots. Zutara? Like swallowing a box of thumbtacks. Sukka?...Im sorry what were we talking about?**

**Oh yeah, we have another story. Its kind of scary how fast we wrote this one, but its fun and we don't regret it.**

**Special thanks to herobending and Ann Bei Fong for actually reviewing last time. We're glad you enjoyed while-haired Sokka, now please enjoy slightly-perverted Sokka (not really, he's just a teenaged boy so who could blame him?) As for the rest of you, COME ON! We loves all you for your encouragement, but think about how happy you all feel receving reviews on your storys and have a heart. We're totally open to constructive criticism (however; no flames, and no grammer stuff)! Just think about that Squee! face you guys get when somebody comments and multiply that by two. (Not cuz we're special, but because theres two of us...)**

**Disclaimer, now happy with his cherry-flavored (Sokkla;) ) beverage, flys though the window of the anti-lawyer fortress and uses it's head explody powers to save RubyT from the zombies...but at what cost? DUN DUN DUN**

**-A/N it cost about $1.37 to be exact...**

* * *

After the war, each of our heroes soon found their place. Katara and Aang, after several months of grueling war meetings and peace treaties, both moved down to the North Pole to help in the rebuilding efforts, as well as continue their relationship together peacefully.

Sokka left for home as well; however, it was decided that after he became of age, he would leave for Ba Sing Se. There, with a little pull from the Earth King, he would be able to attend the University, the extent of his future plans ending there until further notice. Meanwhile he tried to keep a long-distance relationship with Suki, but unfortunately, as many long-distance relationships do, it fizzled out and the two remained only as friends.

Toph, having also returned home for a while, soon left do to pressures from her parents to marry quickly. From there she ran away to the city of Omashu, where she was implemented as the head of the local police force, despite her young age; a feat that could only dared by one as mad as King Bumi himself.

Suki and Ty-Lee, having moved back to Kyoshi Island for a short time, were later summoned by the Firelord Zuko and, along with the other Kyoshi warriors, were implemented as an anti-rebellion force in the former Firenation colonies, where relations remained tense between the Firenation inhabitants and the Earth Kingdom refugees; both laying claim to the land that had been won in the war. Under the stress of her new mission, it was Suki who ended her long-distance relationship with the water tribe warrior back in the South Pole; however if you were to ask Sokka himself, he would no doubt maintain that the breakup was mutual…

"Can you believe this?" he currently complained to his sister over breakfast after receiving the morning mail delivery.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Not really, seeing how I don't even know what you're talking about."

"This letter from Ty-Lee; it says Suki was out all night with some boy. She doesn't even know this guy and she's out doing spirits-knows what until…" He paused here to glance back at the message clutched in his hands. "Two in the morning!" he exclaimed, hitting a gloved hand against the paper for emphasis.

"You're having Ty-Lee spy on her? Do you even know how creepy that is?" She asked, seconds before Aang entered the tent, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he took his place beside her.

"It is not creepy," he defended, turning to Aang as the boy began to collect himself a plate of the few imported vegetables the South Pole had to offer. "Aang, do you think it's creepy for somebody to want to watch out for their friend?"

The boy scratched his head. "Well that depends; how closely are you watching them?"

Katara butted in, "He's having Ty-Lee spy on Suki so he can know if she's going out with any guys while he's away."

"Sorry Sokka, I gotta take Katara's side on this one. Spying on your ex-girlfriend is pretty creepy."

Sokka sulked. "Whatever…"

Just then Katara, who had been skimming over the morning mail with her brother, came across a red-sealed envelope addressed from the Firenation royal palace. "Hey!" she exclaimed in excitement, "It's from Zuko and Mai!"

Quickly she fumbled with the message as the other two boys leaned in closer to see. "It says: 'The Avatar and friends are invited to the first annual Royal Masquerade Ball, celebrating four years of peace between nations. It shall be held on the anniversary of the ending of the hundred year's war in the Firenation royal palace ballroom. Costumes are mandatory."

Aang sat up with a grin. "A party? That's great! Oh Katara, we have to go!"

"It sounds great Aang," she quickly agreed, setting down the letter with a smile.

"Why does it say 'Avatar _and friends_'?" Sokka complained, picking up the message and scanning it over again. "Don't I deserve a little recognition? No offense Aang, but you beat _one guy_. I pretty much singlehandedly took down of a whole airship fleet and I can't even get my name mentioned in a royal letter?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Sokka…"

"What? I'm just saying."

* * *

So they quickly packed to leave. When they arrived at their destination days later, the trio barely made it in time, having came only hours before the festival and so not having the time to meet up with any of their friends beforehand. Katara blamed it on the slow mail system which, although far better than it had been in wartime, was still severally flawed.

They threw their costumes together quickly – namely, fancy dress accompanied by exotic masks they had purchased in town specifically for the occasion – and arrived a bit late, much to Katara's displeasure and Sokka's indifference.

Immediately the three were caught off guard by the number of people attending; each one of them with their faces hidden from view behind elaborate masks, far more carefully picked out then theirs had been. Katara and Aang quickly made their way through the thicket of nobles and up towards the Firelord and Lady to congratulate them.

Sokka on the other hand, scanned over the room from afar; keeping himself busy studying the wide array of young, female guests that had attended. With their faces covered, he found that he couldn't properly recognize any of them; not that this much mattered as, for a teenaged boy, it wasn't particularly their faces that interested him.

Then suddenly, one girl in particular caught his eye. She was about around his age (he guessed; it was kind of hard to tell), with short black hair. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what about this guest seemed so familiar, but she defiantly caught his attention.

Soon Aang and Katara returned to find him still where they had left him, all his attention now focused on the mysterious girl in the corner.

"Hey guys, do you know who that is?" Sokka asked, grabbing another unnamed snack off of a passing caterer's tray in one fluid motion without once taking his eyes off of her. She was talking to another boy, giggling cutely and twisting a strand of raven-colored hair between her fingers.

Aang shrugged. "I'm not sure. You want me to go ask?"

He shook his head. "Sorry Aang but I don't want you cramping my style when I make my move later."

Katara scoffed. "And when exactly are you going to do that?"

Sokka scowled back. "Soon! Now go away; _you're_ defiantly cramping my style." She rolled her eyes and pulled Aang away, muttering something sarcastic at her brother's expense. Sokka paid no mind, still eyeing his prey with strict attention.

After careful consideration, he quickly decided that he didn't know this girl after all; but she was smoking hot, and that was enough for him. Now if he could only get that other guy away from her long enough to make his move…

Suddenly Firelord Zuko came up from behind him while wearing a blue spirit mask; the irony lost on all but a select few in the room. "Nice to see you too," he said sarcastically, removing the mask to see better.

Sokka spun around, taking his attention off of the strange woman for the first time that night. "Zuko! How's my favorite Firelord this evening?" he replied, a plan suddenly forming in his mind. "Listen buddy, can you do me a quick favor?"

"What?" he replied, all humor being replaced by slight annoyance.

"Well, you see that lucky girl over there?" he asked, pointing toward the flirting pair in the corner. Zuko was about to reply, when Sokka interrupted, making it clear he wanted to get to the point. "I need you to get that guy away from her for a couple minutes so I can sweep her off her feet."

About to protest, Sokka quickly interrupted the Firelord once more. "Please Zuko? I need something to help get my mind off of Suki for the night, otherwise I'll never relax."

Zuko looked from him to the girl, a small smirk on his face. "You really don't know who that is, do you?" he asked, unable to keep the amusement from his tone. Sokka didn't respond, instead he just continued pleading with him with puppy-dog eyes. The Firelord nodded, a clever smile still painted on his face. "Okay, I'll help you."

Sokka grinned and eagerly pushed Zuko in the right direction before turning away to appear as if he wasn't paying attention.

The plan worked and Sokka quickly made his way over to the intended target. "Hey there," he said smoothly. The girl didn't reply, but looked up at him through the holes in her mask. "Nice party huh?" he continued, sticking his hands into his pockets and leaning back against the wall.

"Sokka, what are you doing?" a voice he couldn't quite pinpoint answered back as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

He sat up. "Um, sorry…have we met?"

The figure sighed, reaching up to pull the mask off her face. "Why is it every time we meet you don't recognize me?" Suki grumbled, much to his surprise.

"Suki! Oh, wow…uh, did you do something with your hair?" he stumbled, pulling off his own mask in response. Somewhere behind, Zuko give the equivalent of a chuckle (more of an amused grin) in their direction, and Sokka made a mental note to kill him later.

She rolled her eyes (the hundredth person to do so that day, you may have noticed) and recrossed her arms. "Sokka, did you seriously ask Zuko to distract Lee so you could hit on me?"

"No," he lied, looking away guiltily. "And who's this _Lee_? I've never heard of any Lee."

"Really? I thought Ty-Lee would've told you all about him by now," she smirked, Sokka's jaw dropping. "That's right; I know you asked her to spy on me. Do you even know how creepy that is?"

"I've been told…" he muttered, ignoring Zuko, now joined by Katara and Aang, as they all took great pleasure in his pain.

"Sokka, can't you just leave me alone?" Suki said quietly. "What we had…It was fun for a while, but I think its time we move on…"

He shrugged and an awkward silence was shared between them. "I hear you're going to be attending the University," she said finally.

"Yeah..."

A sympathetic half-smile came to her lips. "Maybe you'll meet somebody else there. A nice Earthbender maybe?" she said hopefully. He shrugged again, clearly uncomfortable as the moment lingered on.

Just then Lee returned, kissing Suki on the cheek and wrapping an arm around her, much to Sokka's displeasure. "So who's this, babe?" he asked, flashing Sokka a warm smile.

"Never mind," he intervened, "I was just leaving." Without hesitation he fled the scene, flashing Zuko a murderous look as he made his way back to the bar.

Sokka sat down, letting a small whoosh of air out of his lungs as he laid his head down on the counter to signify his misery. "Excuse me sir," a familiar voice came from the seat nearby, "but I do believe your pony-tail is getting in my sake."

He sat up. "Toph! Is that you?" he quickly turned to the masked figure to his left.

The girl slumped a bit in her costume. "Yeah. Am I really that recognizable?" she asked, a bit disappointed at having been discovered so easily.

Sokka pulled away her mask; studying his old friend carefully. Actually, she wasn't. Toph had grown quite a bit in the last few years; almost as tall as him now to be specific. Her dark hair, usually pulled up, was now in a long braid down her back. Even her voice had lost its childish edge, and now was a warm alto. To be honest he didn't know _how_ he had recognized her so easily; and the thought even confused him.

"Actually no," he said. "You look completely different." Sokka fake sniffled and grabbed her up in his arms, much to her surprise. "My little girl is all grown up!" he teased, squeezing her tight.

She weaseled from his grip and playfully hit him in the arm. "Watch it snoozles," she warned, a wide grin on her face, "I'm a lady now. You gotta buy me a drink before you can touch me like that."

The two shared a laugh and Toph quickly ordered two new drinks for the both of them. "Can you believe I talked to twinkle-toes for about five minutes before he realized it was me? I think it's because I've gotten taller," she bragged.

"It's not just that. Your…" not knowing what exactly to say, he instead made several strange arm movements to signify how she's changed. "…you know?"

"Gee thanks," she said sarcastically, snatching her sake from the counter and taking a generous sip.

"No, no, no, It's a good thing," he clarified, smiling as he studied her in her dress. Noticing this, she again punched him in the arm.

"Eyes up here snoozles."

Quickly he looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

She smiled before suddenly changing the subject. "I heard you were talking to Suki over there. I thought you two broke up."

Sokka shrugged, the grin fading from his expression. "Yeah. I didn't recognize her and kind of made an ass of myself," he confessed.

"I've also heard you've been stalking her."

"I have not!" he protested, taking another sip of his drink.

Toph rolled her unseeing eyes ("Great, now even the blind people are doing it…"). "Well whatever you're doing, it sounds creepy."

Sokka sighed, seeing it best to just ignore her comment. "She's going out with that jerk, _Lee._ What kind of a name is Lee anyway? I don't trust it; it's too…common."

"Yes because Sokka is _so _much better."

He shrugged, again ignoring her comments and looking back at Suki and Lee flirting in the background. "And what did she do to her hair? I bet she changed it because _Lee_ thought black hair looked cute."

She stopped drinking for a minute and put down her glass. "Black hair is better than brown?"

"Of course it is," he replied automatically, ignoring Toph as she reached up to touch her own braid, blushing. Just because she was blind didn't mean she was deaf; she knew what color her hair was.

"You know what? You need to get over her; find somebody new. There are plenty of other girls out there for you," she encouraged, earthbending Sokka's stool around and successfully breaking his gaze from the giggling couple.

"You're right," he agreed, grabbing his drink and enthusiastically choking it down in a single swig. "I need to get over her. Look around, Toph; there are plenty of other fish in the sea!" Without saying a word, Toph waved a hand in front of her eyes to signify her blindness. "Sorry…"

She shrugged. "That's okay; at least you're not moping. Come on snoozles! What do you say we drink until you find enough courage to ask out somebody that's not your ex-girlfriend?"

He grinned, "You always know just how to cheer me up. If you were a little older, I'd kiss you!"

Faking a smile, Toph punched his arm with just a little more effort then usual and enjoyed watching him wince. "Shut up and drink," she muttered, throwing her own unfinished beverage at him.

* * *

**See? Iz a fun story! Don't worry, there will be more Tokka angst in the future (a small hint? we're working on a three part epic! But it is on that dreaded backburner so don't hold your breath). On another note, you may have noticed how at the beganing of each story we always offer a little background info on what they're doing now even if it has nothing to do with the rest of the story. Well thats because we may use that setup on another prompt, either as a sequal or just because we like that setting. So don't be surprised if Sokka being in College ever comes up in another story, because the idea does have potential.**

**Loves: Marla and RubyT**


	8. 67 Death

**Wow, our longest drabble yet... Warning- there is gore, and plenty 'o' angst. But on a brighter note, we get to see an old friend again.**

**Disclaimer: THEY OWN NOTHING! (In scary demon-voice...thats right, FEAR OUR DISCLAIMER OR IT WILL EAT YOUR FACE OFF!)... :)**

**-sorry, Marla wrote this one-**

* * *

"All in," the man mumbled; a cocky grin on his face. The others gasped and looked down to study their own cards.

The man to his right shrugged and folded his hand. Others followed, not one daring to challenge the one who had spoken. Sokka hesitated, looking nervously from his cards to the man with a crescent-like scar marking him from cheek to eyebrow.

"Come on pretty-boy, what's your move?" he spat, stroking his dirty mustache between two fat fingers.

The warrior swallowed, tapping the ground with his feet. "Uh…" he muttered stupidly. Suddenly two small tremors shook the floor beneath his toes, and he grinned. "Okay," he replied, much more confident than before as he pushed his entire stack of coins into the middle of the table.

The older man's crooked grin faded and his eyes narrowed. Solemnly he revealed his hand: a pair of twos, an ace, a five, and a queen.

Sokka grinned wider and slapped down his own cards with much gusto. "Two pair!" he gloated, hands already sweeping over the table to collect his loot. From behind, a girl at the bar smirked, clutching a drink firmly in her hands.

"Changed your mind rather quick…why is that?" one guy mumbled, eyeing Sokka suspiciously from behind a pair of dusty glasses.

He shrugged. "Intuition?"

The girl at the bar tightened her grasp on the glass, accidently shattering it in her fist. "Anything wrong?" the bartender asked, looking up from drying a mug with a small rag. "You know, your going to have to pay for that…"

Toph shrugged, picking tiny shards out from her palms.

Back at the tables, the man with the scar had risen from his seat. Sokka quickly tightened the strings on the bag containing his gold and began backing away. "I don't know what you guys are talking about," he said, trying his best to keep the panic from his tone. "Now if you excuse me, I'm just going to take my winnings here and leave you fine gentleman, and lady, to your business."

Hearing this, Toph stood and quickly slammed several gold pieces on the counter, ignoring her bleeding hands. She had tiptoed about half-way across the bar, when a woman from Sokka's card game shot from her seat and pointed in her direction. "It's The Runaway! Somebody grab her!"

Several hands snatched her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides and lifting her off her feet. She thrashed in their grasp, clawing and kicking like mad before somebody clubbed her in the head. In their arms she suddenly went limp, looking almost humorously similar to a rag doll.

"Toph!" he gasped, reaching for his space sword. Around the table each man stood up, revealing a variety of weaponry.

The man with the scar grinned. "Intuition huh?"

* * *

Hours later Toph came to, finding herself locked in a wooden cell. "Sokka?" she called, rubbing her throbbing head as she sat up. "Sokka, are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. They got us again," he mumbled, eyes struggling in the near-dark.

"You don't say?"

Suddenly a metal door somewhere creaked open, allowing a ray of torchlight to spill across the floor of their cage. From behind it stepped a women in black, her eyes glaring at the two of them.

"Jun, thank spirits you got here so quick!" Sokka exclaimed, rushing towards the edge of the cell and squeezing his head though as much as possible to better see. "We're gonna need you to help bail us out again."

She rolled her eyes, scowling. "I don't think so. Thanks to you two, I've been shunned from every other tavern in the Firenation. I think its time The Runaway started paying for her crimes."

"What?" Toph cried, pushing against the wall and meeting Sokka at the edge of the cage.

"You heard me. You want out so bad? Do it yourself," she said before turning to leave without another word. The door groaned closed once more, and once again Sokka and Toph were left in the near-dark.

Nearby a rat scuttled away as Toph shouted curses in frustration, pounding her aching hands against the sides of the wooden cage. It was a while before she finally ran out of steam and settled down on the floor next to her friend. Around them was complete silence.

"Why don't I get a cool nickname?" Sokka suddenly complained.

Even in her desperation, she smirked. "Jealous snoozels?"

Somewhere another rat scuttled across floor and into their cell, the soft pitter patter of its feet tipping past as it ran mere inches from where they sat. Sokka gasped, retracting his hand away and scooting back.

Toph giggled. "Are you seriously afraid of a little mouse?" she asked, wishing she could read the expression on his face somehow.

"No, it's just that they carry diseases and stuff. Besides, it's not a mouse, it's a _rat_. There's a difference"

She scoffed and slid the rest of the way down the side of the cell until she lay completely on her back; ignoring the splinters in her arm that this action had given her. "Whatever. So how are we gonna get out of here?"

He sighed and rubbed his face. "Hmm…do you have your meteor bracelet with you?"

"No. They must've taken it off while I was unconscious," she grumbled, rubbing the small tan line on her arm. "Bastards…"

Sokka moaned, pounding his head against the cell with an audible thump. Just then they heard the door groan open once again and both turned their attention towards the noise. A young boy about their age slunk in cautiously, dressed in a guard uniform with a brown tray in his arms.

"I have food," he chirped approaching the two of them slowly, as if dreading getting too close.

"Yippee," Toph muttered flatly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. The boy nodded, stopping about half way to the cell to silently contemplate how he could best give them their meal without getting close enough to be harmed.

Sokka studied his nervous behavior closely. "Your new at this aren't you?" The kid nodded again, still afraid to approach.

Toph rolled her eyes. "Great. They gave us the new kid. You'd think they'd treat a wanted criminal with a little more respect than that."

The boy finally took another step. "But that doesn't mean I'm not qualified for my job," he said, trying his best to sound convincing. "Don't try any funny business, or…I'll have to restrain you or something"

"Oh I'm so scared," she taunted. "You sound like you haven't even hit puberty yet."

The kid stiffed, taking another couple of steps towards them. "I mean it," he said, purposely in a lower octave than before. "I have handcuffs and everything."

Sokka grinned. "Handcuffs? Not a pair of those cheap, wooden ones right? Like the kind they usually give newer recruits?"

He scoffed. "Wooden handcuffs? Don't be ridiculous. These are a hundred percent steel; made especially for earth-bending prisoners. I don't even think they make wooden handcuffs." The boy took another couple more steps towards the cage and finally bent down to place the wooden platter on the floor before sliding it under a slit at the bottom with his feet.

Suddenly Sokka reached out though the bars and grabbed the kid by his shirt. "Toph he's got metal on him!" he shouted, reaching an arm around his neck to keep him pinned to the spot.

Immediately she jumped up and began to search him. The kid opened his mouth to scream, but Sokka quickly clamped another hand around his mouth just in time. He also tightened his hold on his neck, hoping the lack of oxygen would cause him to pass out.

"There's nothing here!" Toph barked, "The little weasel lied to us!"

"Check him for keys!" he shouted back, struggling with the kid as he began to thrash in his grip. Suddenly the boy pulled from his sleeve a hidden dagger. Sokka, seeing this and reacting quickly, released his grip on his neck and used that hand to grab his wrist, successfully preventing him from using it to attack them.

"Wait!" Toph cried out, pulling away from searching and taking a step away. "I can feel some sort of metal on him somewhere. I'm going try to pull it away from here." She held out her hands and got into an earth-bending stance. "There! I can feel something," she said, clutching her still-injured hands into fists.

Sokka's eyes went wide as he stared at the dagger in the kid's hand, extended out in front of them at neck level as he tried to free his wrist from Sokka's grip. "Toph wait!" he shouted.

With a quick motion she yanked both arms back, pulling the dagger towards her with incredible force. There it retched itself away from the boy's grip and fled backwards though his neck, ripping it open like it was wet tissue paper. Sokka himself narrowly avoided a similar fate as he ducked his head, allowing a free path for the blade to glide though the air and land securely in Toph's hand.

The figure in Sokka's arms suddenly went limp as blood leaked profoundly from the wound. He gasped, dropping what was left of the boy into a crumpled heap on the floor and leaping away from the bars. Toph, surprised to find the weapon covered in a strange, wet residue, immediately dropped it on the ground. She slowly brought her hands to her nose and sniffed, crying out slightly upon finding it to be blood.

Forming a puddle on the floor, the crumpled heap moaned as the last few remaining seconds of his life drained away. Sokka trembled at the sound, falling to the floor and crawling as far away from the mess as possible. Toph too fell to her knees, scooting back from the terrifying sounds outside the cage.

The stench of death everywhere on them, the two held each other tight, turning away from the gruesome scene before them. They said nothing, trembling in each others arms as they both compulsively wiped their hands on Toph's clothing; the only portion not yet stained a deep red.

"…What happened?" Toph whispered, her unseeing eyes wide as the horrid stench continued to penetrate her nostrils. Sokka said nothing, turning his eyes away from the mess and clutching her tighter.

* * *

"Just to warn you," The warden said, his voice low, "you may want to prepare yourself for what you might see."

Jun nodded. She opened the door carefully and peered inside. With only a quick survey of the gruesome scene, she pulled back out from the room; her eyes squeezed tight as she staggered a bit. The warden reached out to steady her but she quickly rebuffed his offer, taking another second to collect herself before inhaling a deep breath.

"…Nobody knows about this right?" she asked, her voice unnaturally steady. The man nodded. "Good. Send word to the Firelord and the Avatar; let them handle it."

"Should we…preserve the scene?"

Jun stopped and glared at the man with a hateful intensity. "Get them the hell out of there now," she spat. "I want them cleaned up and relocated to somewhere safe; like a hospital. And don't tell anyone. Like I said, let the Avatar handle it."

The warden nodded, motioning to the two guards behind them and stepping aside as they entered the room.

* * *

With efforts from the Avatar and the Firelord, the incident was quickly swept under the rug. Sokka and Toph were pardoned in secrecy and shipped off to a minimum security mental health facility in Ba Sing Se, where they underwent intensive grief and trauma counseling. The boy's parents were informed only that a work-related incident had led to their son's demise; no details were given. The public never knew and it remains, to this day, the Firenation medium-security prison's best kept secret.

That had been one year ago…

* * *

Now Sokka stood quietly outside the hospital's doors, greeted by his sister and Aang. Katara held him close, not daring to let go as soon they met and nearly suffocating him in the process.

"Toph won't be released until tomorrow," Aang explained quietly as the three made their way down the street and back to the home they had been staying in since the ordeal began. "She's been having nightmares and they wanted to watch over her one more night."

Sokka nodded, saying nothing. Katara patted his shoulder, unable to stop herself from keeping physical contact with her brother at all times; as if he might evaporate at any moment.

"I didn't get to see her…" he mumbled.

Aang nodded. "They said it would be better if you guys went though your recovery separately. It seemed a little strange, but they said it was the best way to do it."

Sokka said nothing, a pattern that seemed to continue throughout the day…

"He just needs time to adjust," Aang assured his girlfriend quietly.

Katara bit her lip. "I hope your right Aang. I really hope your right…"

That night was a quiet one. Although Aang and Katara couldn't sleep, Sokka on the other hand, had no problem falling into a deep slumber almost immediately upon resting his head. Something they took as a good sign.

Come morning, when it was time to pick up Toph, Sokka stayed behind. He waited patiently, a silent fear weighing him down. Would she be the same Toph he knew a year ago, before this whole mess had started? He dreaded receiving an unfavorable answer.

The doors burst open and Sokka carefully picked his head up to see Aang and Katara enter first, a large grin on each of their lips. Then entered a third person; one he almost didn't recognize. She was short and lean with dark hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. She wore a light green outfit that was a far cry from the blind bandit uniform he remembered, and clung to her tightly, revealing curves he swore the other Toph never had.

She smiled brightly, leaning on one leg with a hand on her hip. "Did you miss me snoozels?"

Sokka grinned, running over to meet his long-lost friend and pulling her into a great big bear hug. After all this time, he was relieved to find that she hadn't changed a bit.

"Watch it," she warned kindly, pulling away and jabbing a playful, yet painful, fist into his arm. He smiled wider; it was just like old times…

That night a dinner, everyone's mood seemed to lighten. Despite the obvious unease he still possessed, seeing Toph act so casual about the whole matter somehow helped him do the same, and before they knew it, it was just like having the old Sokka back, bad jokes and all.

He was amazed at just how easily she had managed to bounce back, how the matter had somehow not even fazed her. Secretly he was a little jealous. Even now, he couldn't help but occasionally think of what had happened, the way the boy had felt when he suddenly went from an awkward child, barely younger then himself, to an object; something that could be tossed aside and forgotten.

He had seen death before of course, he was never unfamiliar with people close to him dying, but somehow this had been different. It had been him who helped pull the trigger. Sure it was an accident, but it was still their fault that this boy was never going to grow up. He was never going to get married or have children of his own, he was never going to feel or eat or even breath ever again; and it was all his fault. The thought was earth shattering; enough to make him want to crawl into his mind and neglect everything around him.

And for a while he had…

But Toph didn't feel that way. She was stronger than that. From the day they met, to the day she'd die, Toph was a fighter. Grief was below her, he supposed. Trauma was for people weaker than her; people like him.

But with her there it was easy for him to act like he was strong. With Toph taking the lead, Sokka could pretend he was above it too; like he wasn't on the same level as everybody else, but on her level. It was a fun game…

Seeing how Toph's return had changed his demeanor, Aang and Katara both released their metaphorical breaths, relieved that everything had seemed to return to normal so quickly. Sokka was back with his quick humor and dry wit they all knew and loved, and Toph was there too, matching him blow for blow just like the old days.

The gaang was back together. At least, it seemed that way.

* * *

But late that night, after Katara and Aang had gone to sleep, something was amiss. Sokka, who normally would be gone by now, comforted by mind-numbing sleep, was awoken by something he couldn't quite pinpoint. A muffled sound from the room over, perhaps? He couldn't be sure.

He rose from his bed and wondered out into the hallway for a better listen. It was there that he finally managed to piece together what he was hearing.

It was quiet and muffled, but there was no doubt what it was. It was crying. Not the kind where you silently weep all alone to yourself in a room late at night, but intense sobbing. The kind of thing you hear from somebody begging for mercy. Something less about being sad, and more about fearing for your life.

Without further hesitation, he burst though the door and into the room over; expecting to be met with a band of blood-thirsty assassins. But of course there were none. All he found were the sounds of sobbing erupting from a small lump in Toph's bed.

He pulled back the covers, and was admittedly surprised to find her unharmed. The sounds were from her obviously, but he was still shocked to see Toph- his Toph- curled up in the fetal position, sobbing uncontrollably at horrors he dared not imagine meeting himself.

Without thinking he gathered her in his arms and held her tight. 'She's gonna kill me for this' he thought silently as he began to rock her gently, hushing her like a child.

Her body slacked a bit against him and the sobbing slowed noticeably. He smiled, letting her bury her face in his shirt.

They stayed like that for quite a while before finally she awoke, surprised at her current predicament, but saying nothing to voice any displeasure.

"Are you okay?" he murmured, still holding her close.

She nodded. "It was just a nightmare..."

There was another brief pause in the conversation before he asked, "Was it about…what happened?"

"…Yeah…I don't want to talk about it…"

He nodded and the room was still. Seconds turned to minutes, but oddly she still refused to budge, and even odder was that he didn't mind. After all, she was his friend - his partner in crime – if Sokka didn't have a right to comfort her, then who did?

Stroking her hair, matted down with sweat against her head, he finally spoke again. "…Has this been happening a lot?" he asked, not trying to pry.

She nodded. "I'm sorry," she muffled, words spilling out as she continued to cry into his shirt. "I didn't want anybody to see me like this. It won't happen again, I promise. I don't know why it keeps happening…it wasn't even that big of a deal…It's just that…"

Quietly he shushed her, letting her break down again into soft mumbled tears. "It's okay Toph…" he whispered; resting his chin on the top of her head.

Finding her voice, she broke away from him with a look clearly replacing despair with frustration. "No, Sokka it's not okay! I'm supposed to be better now! I don't think about it anymore and I've already forgiven myself! In the day I feel fine, but at night…" her voice faded off and she turned her head away, letting her bangs drip over her sullen face.

Gently Sokka reached up and brushed back her hair. "You get nightmares…" he completed, gazing down to see her pout in frustration.

She tilted her head up; a hint of optimism in her voice. "Do you get them too?"

"No," he answered softly. "To be honest, the night is really comfortable for me; I can finally just stop thinking and let myself drift off. But in the day…" his voice faded away.

"You can't stop thinking about it…" Toph completed, not even knowing herself how she had the answer so easily. Gently she reached up and touched his face in a manner very un-Tophlike if she must've said so herself. She sighed. "Sokka…we killed someone…"

He nodded, a bit surprised at her touch, but refusing to show it. "Yeah…"

The air was still around them, and outside the moon hung low, allowing just enough light for Sokka so see into her eyes, glistening with tears as they whispered to each other. Toph lowered her hands back down to her side. "The doctors told me not to think about it…so I just tried to forget…" she whispered softly.

Sokka quietly brushed the tears from her face. "They told me not to talk about it…so I kept my thoughts to myself..."

Together they smiled. "You can talk to me…" she said, taking his hand in hers and giving it a light squeeze. "You shouldn't think so much..."

"And if you ever have anymore nightmares, I'm here, alright? You shouldn't try to pretend…I understand…"

Toph nodded. Suddenly a yawn betrayed their moment, and Sokka smiled as she reached up to rub at her drooping eyelids. He began rising from bed to leave, but she stopped him. "Uh…Sokka?"

"Yes Toph?"

"Do you…could you…?" she stammered, holding him back with a small hand on his shoulder. "Um…never mind…"

He smiled as her grip on him slackened. Without saying a word, Sokka carefully slid next to her under the blankets. "Okay," he said softly, as if reading the girl's mind. "But I'm letting _you_ explain this to Aang and Katara in the morning."

Toph said nothing, and scooted closer to her friend. Caught in the moment, he then began to wrap his arms around her, but was quickly rebuffed. "Let's not get carried away…" she muttered; a faint blush on her cheeks as she batted his hands away.

* * *

**Hmm...we hope you all like this one. Personaly we feel it was a bit rushed, but maybe we're just being a little hard on ourselves. Should we have broken it into two parts? Please give us your honest reviews, cuz its making us a bit nervious. This is an idea we've had for a while (remember our mention forever ago?) and we really hope we didn't completely screw the pooch here. Again sorry for it being so long, but the writing bug's 'a' gotten us. Good news for you people, but awful news for our unfinished physics homework...why do we even need that class! We want to write screenplays! WTF does that have to do with momentium and shit? Why did we read that disturbing Zukka fic if we knew it would just scar us for life and cause RubyT to go scrub herself repeatively with steel wool? (not really, but it was weird...-_shudder_-) Why are we taking out all of our complaints on you? Will Marla ever shut up? Will RubyT ever finish her book report? Will the disclaimer monster kill us all? TUNE IN NEXT WEEK TO FIND OUT!**


	9. 27 Help

**Hello, fellow Tokkaneers! Now before we began, this story needs a bit 'o' explaining. This is only part one in a multiple-part Tokka epic, so this chapter is more of an introduction. Please excuse it for being kind of boring, but we promise it will get better!**

**Disclaimer- "Yeah...they don't own avatar...can I have a cookie now?"**

_**-Gives you puppy-dog eyes-**_

* * *

"_The Bei Fong family regrets to inform you that you are no longer to come into contact with Toph Bei Fong. We order an immediate cease and desist of any attempts to contact her by anyone of your party, or drastic measures will be taken to ensure her safety. Charges for any previous violations will be waved, if you agree to accept these terms. Signed: Lao Bei Fong."_

That was the last they had heard of her. Efforts were made to possibly reverse the effects of the flying-boar sealed message above, but the Bei Fong family was a powerful one and these attempts were all in vain. In short; Toph belonged to her family, and by the rules of traditional nobility, she would be until the day she was wed.

"This doesn't make any sense. Why doesn't she just run away?" Sokka complained for the umpteenth time that day as the three shared a pleasant afternoon in the Jasmine Dragon, taking a short break from the war meetings in the capital; something the visiting Firelord, unfortunately, couldn't afford to do at this time.

Katara just shook her head. "Sokka, they're her parents; not wardens. She isn't old enough to live on her own."

"I still can't believe they think I kidnapped her," Aang muttered, scanning over the letter once more. Somewhere behind them a bust-boy dropped a plate, causing it to shatter into a million pieces on the floor. However the man did not panic, and instead earthbended the plate back together once more and continued about his business. Behind the counter Iroh smiled, thankful for his new, earth-bending employees.

"It's still not right," Sokka grumbled, taking an angry bite of his pastry. "I say _mh mmh mmh mh mh mh_"

His sister cocked an eyebrow. "Swallow please?"

"I said we should go break her out," he clarified, snatching the letter from Aang to examine it closer. "Look at this! It's not even in her words! For all we know, she could be in some dungeon deep in the bowls of the Bei Fong estates. You saw how big that place is!"

"Sokka, just drop it. We've already talked to the Earth King himself. If Toph wants to contact us, she has to make the first move or we'd be breaking the law."

"But she's blind! How's she supposed to get a letter out to us?"

Aang shrugged. "I'm pretty sure Toph could break out if she wanted to. Maybe she likes it there. After all, the Bei Fong family is rich; she's got it pretty good if you ask me."

"You see Sokka?" Katara chimed in between sips of her jasmine tea. "Toph's fine. I'm sure we'll see her again soon enough."

He frowned, taking another bite of his pastry. "Mh mmh mmh mh mh."

Katara glared back at his gibberish, somehow magically piecing together what he had just said. Aang, in the meantime, either didn't understand or ignored him as he fed the begging lemur on his shoulder a small treat.

"Will there be anything else?" Iroh intersected as he approached to freshen their drinks; happy to wait on some his favorite customers personally.

Aang looked up, not listening as the other two began one of their infamous arguments. "No thanks; we should really be going soon. I'll tell Zuko you said hi."

"Much appreciated. It's always a pleasure to have you visit me in my humble tea shop," he replied, both people now purposely ignoring how petty the other two had gotten in their 'discussion'. Around them several nearby people glanced over at the small ruckus they made.

"Yeah…sorry about them. You know how brothers and sisters are…"

The old man smiled. "You don't have to tell me. I'm just happy they aren't blasting fireballs at each other." Aang smiled back, sharing the joke for a moment before Iroh disappeared into the kitchen.

"Hold that thought!" Sokka suddenly cut his sister short, leaping from his chair and following the old man behind the counter.

"Can you believe him?" she complained, looking over to Aang. He merely shrugged, returning his attention back to the chattering lemur at his side.

* * *

Inside the boiling hot kitchen, Iroh ducked past a bust-boy with unbelievable grace. Sokka, far from graceful, crashed into the poor man and sent them both tumbling to the ground.

"Sorry," he muttered, as Iroh turned to see who had made such a ruckus.

"Sokka, what are you doing back here?"

"I need to talk to you in private," he replied. The old man nodded and led them both out of the bustling kitchen and into a back office.

"So how can I help you?"

Sokka pulled the green envelope out of his pocket and quickly handed it to him. "I need to get a letter to Toph without anybody finding out. Could you help me?"

He scanned the note carefully. "You're talking about The Order..."

"I just figured that maybe you had some members out in Gaoling that could help."

The old man looked up and nodded; a serious expression on his face. "Do you have your message?" Without answering, Sokka pulled out a second letter, already sealed in an unremarkable, cream-colored envelope. Iroh took it carefully and hid the note in his sleeve. "Consider it done."

Sokka grinned. "Thank you."

* * *

It was several nerve-wracking days before he finally received a reply.

"_It's so great to hear from you, Sokka," _it said, a direct quote from the girl herself._ "I really miss you guys. I heard about the restraining order; you know I had nothing to do with that right? I tried to stop it, but they didn't listen. Things haven't been easy here the last few days…I don't want to go into details, but my parents have me under an even closer watch now more than ever. _

_I'm supposed to be married to this boy from the Pang family in two weeks. I've never met him, but everybody keeps telling me that he's really handsome; as if that means anything to me. I'm really nervous, about it. I wish you were here Sokka; you always know the right thing to say…_

_Anyway, I guess that's all that's going on right now. Please answer back if you can, it's nice to hear from you; even if it is my nurse who's reading your messages for me._

_-Toph"_

He studied the letter carefully, then reread it a second and a third time just to be sure he heard right. She was getting married? Why would she go along with something like that? Something wasn't right here; the real Toph wouldn't dare be treated like some doll you could pawn off on a friend. Something had to be keeping her there.

He had to go help her.

Sokka's first instinct was to tell Katara and Aang, but he quickly shrugged away the thought. They had important end-of-the-war meetings to attend and really shouldn't be bothered. Plus, if he was going to avoid getting himself arrested, then he would need stealth; the less baggage he brought the better.

So it was decided. Alone in the house, he quickly gathered a few things in an overnight bag and left a short note for Aang and his sister that he would be leaving on a fishing trip for a couple of days, and not to wait up for him. Then, without hesitation, he exited the house and made his way down to the Jasmine Dragon.

* * *

At first Iroh was reluctant, but upon reading the note himself, agreed to help Sokka on his quest. "But if you get arrested," he warned, "understand that there is nothing we can do to help. Anything that happens is on your head."

He nodded understandingly and Iroh handed the boy a small note with an address, along with a white lotus tile. "Thank you so much," he muttered, bowing to the older gentleman before leaving. "Oh and if Katara and Aang ask, I told them I was on a fishing trip."

The address took him to a shady tavern down in the lower ring of the city, where several members were already waiting for him. From there he was escorted as a stow-away to Gaoling in the hull of a merchant ship; the owner of which another high-ranking White Lotus member. Immediately after landing, he parted ways and located the Bei Fong estate.

The trip hadn't happened overnight, however, and he now only had a total of three days before the wedding. Luckily he managed to quickly locate the helpful nurse Toph had mentioned, and she was able to arrange a meeting at midnight; granted he could successfully sneak past the guards and into the main grounds where she would be waiting alone in the garden.

This, however, was easier said than done, and he couldn't help but arrive a bit late. On a brighter note, the stealth-like secret mission kind of made him feel like a ninja; something he hadn't experienced since his days in the war.

Locating a weak spot in security near the South wall, he quietly scaled a nearby tree and tumbled down onto the grounds from above. From there, a pair of night guards wondered past and he quickly dived for the bushes, silently cursing himself for choosing the only rose bush out of an endless field of much less painful options.

"Hey Li, did you just hear something?"

Sokka held his breath, making no move to pull the thorns painfully imbedded in his arm. Luckily, the other man shrugged and the duo continued on. He waited another moment before storming out of the bush, cursing the spirits as he plucked the painful plants away.

Walking further into the center of the garden area, he found the threat of guards no longer looming, and calmly wondered in search of his friend…

**TO BE CONTINUED**

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* * *

**

So theres part one. Like we said, its kind of boring, but there is more intresting stuff to come, we swear! And if we're lying, we give you all permision to pour honey on our heads and bury us in an ant hill...or maybe not...

So why do you think Toph hasn't ran away yet? Any guesses? Btw, just so you know, this takes place a little less than a year after the finale so Toph is now 13 and Sokka is 16. Please don't pelt us with rotten fruit, but we wanted to do a story without aging them up. Don't worry, nothing perverted happens...much...

_-Marla ducks rotten fruit-_

Go away Johnny! Nobody asked you!


	10. 91 Bound

**Please enjoy part 2 of our multiple-part story...Are we breaking the rules of the Tokka drabble challenge? We hope not...**

**Disclaimer: -sniff- "they didn't give me cookies...Screw you guys! THEY OWN AVATER AND ALL THE RIGHTS TO IT"**

**Us: "NO WE DON'T! WE DON'T OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER!"**

**-but alas it was too late; and the camra zooms out to reveal thousands of zombie-lawyers closing in on the bunker...-**

* * *

He stalked around the garden carefully, squinting in the dark for any sign of the blind earth-bender.

"Toph?" he whispered, grateful for the bright half-moon overhead lighting the way. From a stone bench near the pond, he saw her small figure wave him over, and Sokka quickly dashed over to meet it.

She was wearing a light green nightgown that appeared white in the pale moonlight overhead. For whatever reason she continued sitting, feet tucked beneath the bottom of her long dress, rather than stand to meet him; however this did not take away from the expression of extreme joy on her face.

"Sokka!" she exclaimed, reaching up to him like a child. He bent down and pulled her into a tight hug; too happy to be reunited with his friend then to comment on her laziness.

"I missed you too Toph. Now what's this about an arranged marriage?" He inquired, getting right down to the point.

Her face suddenly dropped and she reached up to run a hand though her loose hair. "Oh Sokka, I really don't want to do this..." she muttered, a genuine fear in her tone that seemed alien to him. "This guy is horrible! He has absolutely no sense of humor, and he walks like he literately has a stick up his ass."

"Then why don't you just run away?" he asked, pulling away from her.

She bit her trembling lip and suddenly looked as if she might cry; an expression that certainly did not belong on his friend's face. Without speaking, she pinched the hem of her nightgown with two slim fingers and lifted it, revealing her leg from about the ankle down. There - where there once was a well-calloused, cream-colored foot - there sat two heavily-bandaged, misshapen nubs.

His eyes widened with shock and Toph hung her head in shame. "I-I can't even walk anymore…" she mumbled, tears now streaming down her soft cheeks.

"Oh spirits…what did they do to you?" he gasped, bending down on his knees for a closer inspection. There, her feet sat bent in places a foot shouldn't normally bend. The bandages clung tight, squeezing them so that tiny bits of flesh bubbled up in places. A dab of blood speckled the soles of both feet, suggesting that she had recently attempted walking on them, and failed.

"Lots of noble girls have bound feet," she explained though broken sobs. "They just didn't want to do it to me when they thought I was already helpless. Now, I'm even worse than before…I can't see a thing."

Sokka shuddered, a lump forming at the back of his throat. "We have to get you out of here now," he demanded, standing up and cradling her in his arms before gently lifting her from the marble bench.

"…I-I didn't pack anything," she managed. "I just want to get out of here…"

He nodded, feeling his own eyes began to water as he made his way toward the wall. Without speaking, Toph touched her hand against the cool surface of the stone structure and bent a number of small steps to carry them over it, as well as safely bring them back down on the other side.

"There's a ship leaving port in about an hour. If we hurry we might be able to make it."

"And if we don't?" she whispered, wiping the salty discharge from her face.

"Then we'll have to wait for morning and run the risk of being captured."

She nodded and they quickly made their way towards the harbor. However, carrying Toph severally started to drain the poor boy of his energy and he soon had to stop to rest a moment. This pattern was followed the entire length of the journey and, to no great surprise, they arrived at the docks to find that their transportation had left them behind.

Having held her continuously for about twenty minutes now, Sokka seated himself on an empty bench near the harbor. In his arms, Toph dozed away; just awake enough to process what was going on around her, but unable to keep her eyes fully open.

"Toph?" he whispered, a cool breeze floating past as he cradled her close.

"Mmm hmm?" she responded, unconsciously rubbing the dried tears from her cheeks.

Her dress slipped down to just below her knee, revealing those two gruesome nubs attached to her ankles. He cringed, looking away as he gently pulled her nightgown to hide them once more. "We need a place to stay for the night. Do you think you could walk if I helped you? It might look a little odd if I'm carrying you around."

She nodded and he carefully placed her on the ground, wrapping an arm securely around her waist to help steady her. Toph winced, biting down on her lip to help distract her from the pain. Slowly, the two made their way to the closest and cheapest inn they could find; avoiding the winks and whistles of the prostitutes as they hobbled past.

"One room please," he said to the barkeep eyeing them suspiciously; as if he hadn't seen far worse things in his lifetime.

"What's wrong with the broad?" he grunted, grabbing a set of keys from under the counter.

Sokka shrugged, trying to look casual. "She had a little too much to drink." At his side, Toph moaned and gripped the edge of the counter for balance as her broken feet began to bleed once more.

The stranger shot him a wicked smirk, and Sokka fought the urge to punch his face in. "I get ya…just tucking her in right?" The man winked, dropping the door key into the palm of his had. "Just be careful and clear her out by morning; I don't want any trouble with the authorities. She looks like the kind of girl somebody would miss..."

Not sure how to respond without blowing their cover, he merely nodded and continued to help Toph make her way to the stairs. However, about half-way up, she passed out, forcing him to pick her up once again and carry her the rest of the way. Behind them, Sokka heard the man snicker, and it took every ounce of willpower he had left not to turn back around and beat him half to death.

Toph awoke a while later, tucked into bed with her bandaged feet cleaned and rewrapped. "Sokka?" she called out into the blind darkness around her. "Sokka are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," he replied, sitting at the edge of the bed to signal his presence. "I fixed your bandages..."

"Thank you…" she murmured.

Around them, a thick silence deadened the air and Sokka carefully scooted closer. "Toph, what happened while you were gone?" he asked softly.

She sighed. "When I went home I made it perfectly clear to parents that things were going to change between us. I told them that they couldn't treat me like I was helpless anymore and that I was old enough to make my own decisions; and for a while, things did change…but then I heard about the restraining order. I was so mad; I stormed in on them and demanded they let me see you guys or I would run away again.

"As I yelled at them, I remember feeling them…tremble. They were afraid of me, Sokka. They didn't care about how I felt; they only allowed me more freedom because they were scared I'd do something to them." Toph turned away, her pale eyes beginning to water. "I don't know how, but that night they drugged me. I can remember hearing their voices tell me it was going to be all right…It didn't hurt when they did it, but I remember feeling the doctors break my feet. I could hear the bones snapping….I…"

She stopped, breaking out into muffled sobs. Sokka pulled her into his arms as she cried, embracing her tight against his chest. "It's okay Toph…" he muttered, letting her bury her face into his shirt as he rocked her back in forth. It scared him to see her like this.

"Afterwards, I couldn't see anymore," she continued after finally catching her breath. "I was the daughter they always wanted; a helpless little angel. They weren't afraid of me anymore, but I was terrified…How could they do that to me? What did I do to deserve that? They…they told me it was for my own good; that it was common for noble families to do with their earth-bending daughters. They said it was an honor…"

"Don't worry Toph," he said softly, still holding her close. "What they did was wrong, but we'll get you home. Katara can heal you right up and things will go right back to normal, you'll see."

She sniffed. "Thank you Sokka…for everything. I…I hope your right."

"Of course I'm right. You'll be back to being the worlds greatest earth-bender in no time. Then you're going to come live with me and you'll get to see Aang and Katara and Zuko, and it'll be just like the old days…"

She smiled, pulling away slightly so he could see her face. He smiled back, wiping small tears from the comers of her eyes.

"You should've seen the guy they wanted me to marry," she chuckled bitterly. "He didn't even talk to me the whole night, he just went on and on about all his 'achievements'; meanwhile I'm the one who taught the Avatar earth-bending and ended a hundred year long war, and he's here talking about some fancy competition nobody even gives a ratdog's ass about."

Sokka frowned. "No offense Toph, but I think your way to young to get married," he replied, brushing the bangs out of her face and tucking them behind her ears. "How old is this guy anyway?"

She shrugged. "About eighteen; but it's not really that big a deal. I've heard of arranged marriages where the guy was old enough to be their grandfather."

In his mind, he shuddered at the thought of Toph marrying somebody around Iroh's age. "I'm sorry, but that's just wrong. Back home, you have to be at least sixteen before even thinking about getting married."

Toph pouted. "I bet they don't have arranged marriages either."

"Oh, trust me they do. Maybe they didn't in the South Pole, but up North that's pretty much how everybody gets married…You know Katara's necklace?"

"Yeah. Didn't it used to be your mom's or something?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it did; but do you know what that necklace means?" She shook her head. "It's a betrothal necklace. Before it was our mom's it was given to Gran-Gran by some man she was being forced to marry; but instead of marrying him, she ran away to the South Pole, where she met my grandfather."

"Sounds like a fairytale."

He shrugged. "Yeah, it kind of does; but its true. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Gran-Gran and Pakku; but I'm glad she married Pop-pop instead. He was the one who really made her happy…"

"What is it with you guys and your repetitive nicknames? Can't you just call somebody Grandma?" she murmured, eyelids beginning to droop.

He smiled. "Come on, it's late. You can have the bed; I'll just lay out a few blankets here on the floor."

Toph gently laid a small hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Uh…do you think you could sleep next to me tonight? It's just that I can't see anything and I don't want to wake up alone again…" she replied nervously, turning her face away as she blushed.

"…Okay. But don't think I won't kick you out if you start hogging all the blankets. You may be crippled, but that doesn't mean I have to freeze to death," he teased, kicking off his boots as she burrowed herself deeper under the covers.

To his surprise, rather than keeping to herself as he expected, she immediately cuddled up next to him, burying herself in his arms. "…It's cold…" she explained half-heartedly, letting him hold her for the hundredth time that day. He smiled; choosing not to analyze the matter any further.

There was a long silence in the room as she tried to fall asleep. However, the prospect of seeing everybody again was too much to her to bear and all Toph could do was lay quietly with her thoughts. Nearby, Sokka snored gently, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm around her. She breathed in his comforting scent. It seemed like a lifetime ago she had last been near him, even though a couple months would've a much more accurate estimation.

Careful not to disturb him, she slowly reached her hand up to his face; grazing it gently beneath her fingertips as she tried to make out some sort of appearance. He reacted a bit at her touch, proving he wasn't quite as asleep as she thought.

"Sokka?" she whispered, testing out just how awake he really was.

"…Hmm…?" he mumbled, aware enough to hear her, but still not fully there.

Not speaking, she continued to run her soft fingers down the length of his cheek, mapping out his features in her head. She carefully felt along the bridge of his nose, being sure not to disturb him enough to draw him further into consciousness. Then, at his lips she stopped, feeling the breath escape quietly from between her fingers, and a sudden urge overcame her.

Before she could stop herself, she pressed her own lips to his; not gentle, but instead sliding her tongue into his mouth greedily as he lay there. Sokka, still half-asleep, returned the kiss, moaning slightly as he felt her other hand slide beneath his shirt to touch his bare chest. They continued to embrace each other tight as her probing fingers ran down his body, stopping just at the edge of his pants but threatening to go lower. Unconsciously, he brought his hands to her waist, feeling the small curve of her figure and drawing her in closer.

The intense moment lasted a bit longer before the realization suddenly hit him. Sokka's eyes bulged wide, and he pulled away quickly, sitting up in the bed with a start and batting her hands away. "Toph! What's going on!"

She shrugged, saying nothing.

"Holy crap, Toph! That was just all kinds of wrong…you're a child for spirits sake!" he recoiled, smoothing down his shirt with both hands.

"Do not call me a child," she warned, blind eyes glaring daggers into him. "If I'm old enough to get married, I'm old enough to know what I'm doing."

"But you're only thirteen! Have you even, like, hit puberty yet?" He scooted away even further, ignoring the edge of the bed before finally slipping off and hitting the floor with an audible thump.

"…Holy crap, I'm a pervert…" he muttered, lying still on the wooden floorboards

She scowled, tossing over angrily. "Forget it! Just sleep down there tonight!" she spat, burying her head completely under the covers.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

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* * *

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Ouch! Talk about rejected...

Yep, we relize that this was kind of a weird one. But don't worry its still a Tokka, they just aren't ready for any of THAT yet...Naughty Toph...

**Oh, and we also should say that we don't know that much about actual foot-binding, but the concept was an intresting one; no? Sorry about how often we've been tortuing Toph lately, but we writers love hurting our favorite characters right? Don't worry; we're sure there will be something to balance out all of the angst in the future (Marla-"Not too much fluff though. I no like fluff...") so just you wait.**

**Until then, try to enjoy our Tokkangst. We know you will, herobending! Eat up buddy!**


	11. 41 Love

**Okay now before we get asked, no this has nothing to do with the help/bound continuing story. We know what to do, but things aren't quite working out so, for now, its on the backburner we know you must all love so much...**

**Oh and for anybody who caught our super-secret bonus chapter that disapeared, that was all RubyT's doing. She likes doing random "dialoge doodles" about what characters might say in certain situations. They aren't to be taken seriously and if they ever appear again, don't worry, they wont be permanant unless somebody comments on them.**

**Disclaimer monster couldn't make it, so instead Jhonen Vasquez is letting us borrow Shmanky the learning slug. Did we say 'borrow'? We meant steal temperarily...**

**Shmanky, chained to a wall: "Marla and RubyT don't own ATLA...now can you let me go?**

**...Hello?...anybody?..."**

* * *

"_Don't_ call this love," she warned, pulling the blankets up tighter around herself.

He rolled his eyes. "What would you call it then?" he asked grazing her bare shoulder with the tips of his fingers. Toph shivered at his touch but still refused to face him, instead slapping his hand away and covering herself completely with the wool blankets to mask her reaction as a simple chill.

"People call it a lot of things, Sokka. Pick one."

It was another usual night, not quite in their future and yet sometime after their past. Outside the world was dark and cold against the winter nights of Ba Sing Se. It had been several years since the end of the war, and the world was at peace for now.

"Okay…but then what would you call _us_?"

Toph groaned. She just wanted to get some sleep. Tomorrow would be a big day; she had to go have lunch with her parents ('shoot me now') while they were visiting the capital, not to mention that stupid peace treaty meeting that sugar-queen was dragging her to immediately afterwards. Why did he have to talk so much afterwards? For a moment Toph played with the idea of breaking his jaw, but even that didn't seem like enough to quiet him.

She rolled over on her stomach, burying her face into the gigantic, fluffy pillow beneath her. "Friends, snoozles. _Very_ good friends…" she mumbled in response. "Now go to sleep."

Sokka pouted. "Oh come on; we're not just friends. Friends don't make-"

"Finish that thought and I'm earth-bending you out the window," she cut him off, raising a finger and pointing it directly in his face.

He pushed her hand away. "Oh yeah, I forgot. The 'world's greatest earthbender' is afraid of one teensy-weensy four letter word," he teased, gently poking the side of her face in hopes of annoying her further.

Toph rolled onto her side to face him, her filmy, green eyes glaring daggers at nothing in particular, yet still knowingly meant for him. "Sokka, I don't have time for this," she warned in threatening tone, meaning she meant business. "I just want to get some sleep tonight, okay? Get this though your thick skull: I do not _love _you!"

"You are such a bad liar," he smirked, earning him a sharp jab in the shoulder. Sokka's grin only widened as Toph plopped her head back down into the pillow with a loud moan. "Why can't you just admit it?"

"Admit what?" she mumbled. "That you're an annoying meathead?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Okay then," he conceded, scooting himself towards the edge of the bed, "I guess I'll just leave you alone then. Now where's my shirt…"

Instinctively, Toph's hand reached out and gripped his arm; preventing him from scooting away any further. "Don't even think about it, snoozles," she grumbled, yanking him back so forcefully that he couldn't help but release a small, audible yelp.

"Now what was that?" he pointed out, settling himself back between her sheets as she cuddled against him once more.

"It's cold tonight," she answered lamely, pulling his arms around her like they were blankets in their own right. Toph rolled back around so that she was once again facing the wall, closing her eyes tight and praying Sokka would finally just let her sleep for once.

He pulled his arms away again, and she growled. "Sorry Toph, but I think cuddling is reserved for people in _love_," he mused.

"Then don't think of it as cuddling. Think of yourself as more of a big, human pillow."

He rolled his eyes. "I am not some kind of object or escort or whatever you want to call it _Miss Bei Fong._ I gave up Suki for you, you know."

She raised a brow. "I'm sorry, but as _I _remember it, didn't little Miss Kyoshi cheat on you with some guy with chronic rabies?"

"She came back!" he protested, crossing his arms and sitting up, much to Toph's annoyance. "But of course I said no, because I thought that we…"

"Well if you're missing out on so much, why don't you just go find her then, hmm?" she shot back, burrowing herself completely in the wool blankets with a pout.

Sokka slapped his forehead. "No, that's not what I meant…" he mumbled, racking his brain for the right words. "My point is, I _could_ have gone back out with her, but I decided not to because even though you're abusive, demanding, short-tempered, and have an even bigger fear of commitment than I do…"

Toph snorted. 'Abusive? What a baby,' she thought.

"For some reason I still would much rather put up with you because…well…I love you," he finished, looking away slightly from the awkwardness of his confession. "And don't say you don't at least feel _something _in return, or this whole night was just a waste of time."

Toph said nothing for a while, biting her lip as she mauled over what he had just said. "Well, I _do _like wasting time with you…" she teased, pulling off the covers from her face and rolling over so that he could see the small smirk in her expression.

"Toph…"

"Fine okay," she relented, rubbing her eyes with both hands. "Maybe, it's possible that I might like you more than a friend…kinda," she muttered reluctantly.

Sokka smiled. "Is there maybe, a certain word you would like to use? A certain four-lettered, world beginning with the letter L?"

Toph rolled back over towards the wall. "Don't push it…" she muttered. He sighed, deciding that this was the best he'd get for now, and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his face into her raven-colored hair and inhaling that scent of dirt he'd grown to love.

Morning came as reluctantly as it always did after those long winter nights. Sokka groaned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as the sun's blinding light peeked in though the windows above. Suddenly a knock came at the front door, stirring Toph awake in a flash.

Without hesitation, she kicked off the blankets and slid both feet flat on the floor. "Oh no…" she muttered, a look of dread plain on her face. "It's Katara."

Immediately Sokka leapt out of bed and swept though the heap of discarded clothing on the floor. "Here!" he said, throwing her a green and yellow robe long since tossed aside as he gathered up his own cloths in haste.

Quickly she slipped it on. From the front door, they could both hear his sister's voice calling for her as she waited outside. Toph stood up and combed her hair with her fingers as he jumped around humorously in an attempt to slip into his pants as fast as possible. Leaving the room and entering the hallway, she threw him his boots and motioned, without speaking, towards the small window facing the outside alleyway.

Sokka gulped. They were on the second floor and he wasn't sure there was anything safe out there for him to land on. He silently protested, mouthing his argument and flailing his arms wildly to make his point. Toph merely gritted her teeth and pointed at the window forcefully, stomping her foot a bit to show she was serious. From outside, Katara was getting restless, pounding on the door impatiently and calling her name even louder.

Shutting the bedroom door behind her, Toph carefully descended the stone steps and threw on her best morning drowsiness look. "Yeah?" she answered rudely, sliding the door open with half-lidded eyes.

Katara smiled warmly. "I'm sorry Toph, I didn't mean to wake you. I was just wondering if you wanted to get some breakfast today before you had to go meet up with your parents."

Toph rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Sounds great…just, uh, come inside while I get ready okay?" she replied, pulling Katara into the house with a jolt as she felt a small object drop into the alleyway all too close to where she was standing; recognizing it as Sokka's green, Earthkingdom bag.

Katara let out a tiny yelp of surprise as she was forced into the room in a flash, followed by Toph quickly slamming the door behind them with a panicked look. "Are you okay?" she asked, glancing from her friend to the closed door behind them.

"Never better," Toph responded with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Are you sure? Because it seems like something weird is going on…" the waterbender trailed off, glancing around the room skeptically. Toph answered with a nervous laugh, quickly overshadowed by the sounds of panicked screaming outside and followed by a loud, sickening crash.

In a beat, Katara pulled open the door and leapt over towards the noise. There, in the neighboring alleyway, lay her brother in a twisted position on the ground suggesting he had fallen in a very ungraceful manner.

"Sokka?" she gasped, Toph guiltily coming to her side as she peered down at him laying face-first in the dirty, city streets.

"Oh, hey Katara," he answered lamely. "How are you today?"

Katara glanced up directly to catch a glimpse of Sokka's left boot as it tumbled down after him from the upstairs window and landed on his back with a small thud. She turned over to Toph, who kept her face down and whistled softly, clasping her robe tight with her hands.

Attempting to stand, they could all hear an audible crack in Sokka's spine that made them all cringe. He rose about halfway off the ground before slumping back to onto the floor with a wince. Both girls helped him to his feet and dragged him into the house. Plopping him on the couch, Katara quickly excused herself to gather some water from the kitchen that could heal his wounds.

Sokka groaned and rubbed his neck as Toph stood over him with a weak smile on her lips. "You just had to kick me out the window…" he complained.

"…Love you…" she offered nervously in a sweet tone, the guilt from his injury plain in her voice.

He sighed and dropped his head back onto the cushion. "Yeah…Love you too."

* * *

**There you go. Hope you liked it. And we promise we'll get the end to Help/Bound as soon as possible! **

**Reviews would make us happy...**


	12. 51 Hair

**Low and behold, another drabble that isn't ending our Help/Bound ongoing story. That backburner is a real bitch isn't it?**

**Anyway, the prompt is hair. This story probably isn't the most orginal concept, but there is a twist in the end! Orginaly it was going to be for the prompt fish, but somehow this had morphed out of it. Note that Sokka's legend about the sea monster is actually an Avatarded version of that classic aligator in the sewer myth everybody knows about.**

**Now before we continue, we should explain why we went so long without updating. Well...that was mostly due to us being lazy bums that got really caught up in watching Avatar AMVs and audio dubs on Youtube. But more importantly, its because we wrote two different one-shots! Ones about Yue and the other is about Azula - so you have two totally different ends of the spectrum. Why are we telling you this?...we dont know...**

**Disclaimer monster: They don't own ATLA...**

**If they did, I might actually get paid for once...**

* * *

Somewhere outside the Firenation capital city - on the banks of a small creek of questionable origin - two friends wasted away another lazy summer afternoon. Up against a pile of boulders near the bank there sat a fishing pole, its line falling casually into the waters below. Near it, there lay two familiar figures, basking in the afternoon sunlight with relaxed smiles painted on their faces.

The girl stretched out her legs and sighed contently. "Isn't this much better than wasting time in that stuffy war room all day?" Toph asked the open air, truly proud of her idea to play hooky from their role as ambassadors for the time being.

Sokka yawned as he gazed at the passing clouds overhead. "Yeah...at least before Katara finds out and kills us," he replied calmly, not a hint of trepidation in his voice as he addressed their upcoming doom.

Toph waved her hand dismissively with a huff. "Just let me handle sugar-queen."

He raised a brow and glanced over at his, currently, nose-picking companion. "Remember the last time I 'let you handle it'?"

She chucked a bit, rolling up whatever discovery she had uncovered between her thumb and forefinger. "Yeah…good times…" Flicking it at nothing in particular, she yawned and rolled over onto her side, letting her bangs drip lazily into her face.

Smirking, Sokka continued to gaze up into the clouds. "Hey look!" he suddenly called out, sitting up and pointing upwards at the sky. "That one looks like a boomerang!" Toph frowned and cocked a brow, picking her head up so he could accurately catch her expression. He shrugged and lowered himself back to the ground. "Sorry."

"Why are we _here_ anyway? For a fishing trip, you don't seem to be doing a lot of fishing," she pointed out, her finger returning to investigate the other, unexplored, nostril.

"Because," he began, sighing as if he had already explained the situation countless times before; which he probably had, considering her habit of zoning out during the boy's particularly boring rants. "Not a lot of fish are in this stream. I'm looking for something more than just _any_ fish…"

She rolled her unseeing eyes. "You know that creek is just where the city sewers dump out right? You're fishing in Firenation sewage."

"Exactly!" he exclaimed, already getting swept up in his own excitement. She raised a brow and he just sighed. "Where else am I gonna catch a unagi around here?"

Toph groaned, the plan already coming back to her. "You don't seriously believe that story about the Firenation nobles that bought a baby sea monster and tossed it into the sewers when it got too big do you? Cuz if you do, you're an even bigger meathead then I thought."

He scoffed. "You won't be saying that when I catch it, and train it, and become master of all things land and sea!"

"Whatever you say snoozles…oh, and by the way, you're pole is moving," she replied, pointing an unoccupied finger towards the whale-bone fishing pole still sitting in its spot between two well placed boulders.

Not missing a beat, Sokka leapt from the ground and snatched it up; his expression like that of a child on Christmas morning. "I caught something!" he exclaimed joyously, jerking back on the fishing pole with all his might. Toph just shrugged, too busy excavating her nose to bother with her friend's child-like wonder.

Tongue peaking between his teeth as his grin widened, he gave one final tug on the line, only to find, not a baby sea monster, but a small, metal object at the end of his hook. Sokka groaned and reluctantly unhooked his 'catch', tossing it onto the ground behind him carelessly and quickly recasting his line.

Toph chuckled. "Not what you expected, snoozles?" she chimed, flicking another gob of green goo from her thumb and feeling it land mere inches from where her partner stood.

"No. Just some junk," he sighed, making his way back to the soft lump of earth he had previously made his home.

"What is it?" she asked, sitting up with interest.

Snatching it from the ground, Sokka analyzed the object closely. "It's one of those Firenation hair-thingys they put in their top-knots. It looks expensive actually," he observed, suddenly finding interest in this new discovery as well. Carefully he turned it over in his hand, inspecting the craftsmanship before rubbing off some of the filth on his shirt and inspecting it even closer. In the sun, a glint of light glared off into the sky against its golden appearance as he traced the flame-shaped object with the tip his finger.

Glancing back at his friend, an idea suddenly clicked. "Hey Toph, why don't you try it on? No reason it should go to waste and it's much too girly for me."

She scoffed. "Girly? Sounds like my kind of thing…" she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"No, seriously, it's really fancy. It'll look good on you."

Toph shrugged. "Sorry snoozles, but I can't really do my hair in any other style. Being blind kind of limits my fashion sense."

He looked up, now gazing at his friend's classic hairdo he had seen hundreds of times before. "Really?" he pondered, glancing back down at the golden, flame-shaped metal in his hands. "Hmm…let me try something." Carefully he ventured behind where Toph was sitting in the dirt and kneeled down to inspect her hair bun even closer.

"What are you-" she asked, only to be cut short as she felt him untie her hair from behind and let it fall in thick creases around her shoulders and down her back. Toph blushed and quickly swatted his hands away.

"Just hang on," he protested, tossing aside her usual headband and nudging her protecting hands away. Toph sighed and mumbled a reluctant agreement, followed by a half-hearted warning/threat. "It'll be fine," he reassured her, paying no mind to her beet-red cheeks as she bit her lip. "I've messed with Katara's hair countless times, so I think I know what I'm doing…"

"Oh yeah. That makes me feel _much_ better," she responded sarcastically, silently praying he wouldn't catch that shiver of nervousness she gave off as his fingers grazed her bare neck.

Sokka ignored her comment, instead paying full attention to the task at hand. Being that it was always pulled up, he had never really realized how much hair she had; nor how thick and, consequently, difficult it was to finger-comb. In his head, he silently prayed he wouldn't slip up and accidently pull her hair too harshly, knowing that such a mistake might end up with him buried up to his chest in ruble.

Once properly untangled, he gathered all of the unruly mane in his hands and pulled it back into a plain top-knot, then nudged her head to both sides and inspected its appearance with careful scrutiny. Immediately he shook his head, finding the style unacceptable.

"What's wrong?" she asked nervously, the blush fading from her cheeks as she felt him shake his head.

"Nothing," he replied, now behind her once again and playing with her raven locks freely. "That look is just too…boring for you. Let me try something else!" Toph shrugged, letting him go to work against her own better judgment.

Finally, after a few more seconds of deliberating, Sokka decided on leaving the majority of her hair down to trail down her back in soft waves, while gathering just enough hair up front to pull into the exquisite hairpiece; pushing her bangs back behind her ears and letting him see her face much more clearly. The end result was something similar to his sister's Firenation disguise during the war, but without the two tied off pieces falling across her shoulders.

Stepping back finally, Sokka prepared to properly inspect his masterpiece. "Could you stand up for a second?" he asked, resting his chin in his left hand in a thoughtful pose.

Toph shrugged and obeyed without comment, brushing off her 'healthy coating of earth' and resting a hand on her hip. "So…how does it look?"

For a second, time stopped. He gulped and lowered his hand from his face, his eyes widening and jaw slacking a bit, uncouthly. Sokka blinked three times and rubbed his eyes before continuing his analysis, completely surprised at what he saw.

Time really had seemed to fly in those last few years after the war. It had never really occurred to him before, but now, actually taking the time to fully check her appearance, he realized just how much she had changed since they were kids. No longer was she that short, twelve year old girl in a blind bandit uniform, shocking the pants off of everyone. Somehow behind everyone's back (or maybe it was just his) Toph had managed to grow into a…a…women.

The news was shocking.

(A/N: Insert sparkly effect used in The Fortuneteller)

Forgetting her question, Sokka merely continued to gaze at her with a puppy-like dependency. Being in the Firenation, in the summer, it was only natural for her to be wearing the usual Firenation, midriff-baring cloths; which he had to admit, were pretty hot when being worn by somebody who wasn't his sister for once. Her hair hung down past her shoulders in soft curls, uncommon to most Firenation styles and giving her a look that was truly her own. But most importantly, he could finally see her face for once. No longer burdened with the child-like baby fat she had retained as a twelve year old, her face was now slimmer and much more mature. Not to mention her eyes; two glossy, milk-tinted orbs that seemed to glow unnaturally as she gazed ahead into the blackness only she saw.

Finally Toph sighed and reached up to pull the top-knot from her hair, a notable look of disappointment on her face.

"Wait!" he stopped her, grabbing her hand and pulling it away just in time as he snapped back into reality. "It looks…really good…" he said lamely, not wanting to appear nearly as awkward as he felt.

"Really?"

He nodded and Toph immediately pulled her hand away, a powerful blush creeping onto her face. Sokka, at realizing just how close he was now standing to her, soon followed suit, extremely thankful that she was blind at that moment.

"…Yeah…you look…pretty," he stumbled with an awkwardness, even he wasn't prepared for. Toph, at the complement, went a shade even darker, trying desperately to keep the smile from growing on her face.

Suddenly her smile disappeared. "You're pole moved," she said softly.

"What!"

"You're _fishing_ pole," she clarified, her face returning back to its normal color as she pointed in the direction of the bank.

"Oh…" Sokka replied lamely, sharing a brief awkward moment before scurrying over towards the banks and snatching the fishing pole from its place.

Pulling back, he grunted and an exited smile spread wide from cheek to cheek. "I've actually caught something this time!" he all but shouted, tugging back as hard as he could.

Toph rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah" she said skeptically as she approached his side.

Sokka shook his head and gritted his teeth as he continued his game of tug-of-war with the unyielding fishing line. "No, I really mean it this time! It's something _huge_!"

Finally, with a little help from Toph earthbending his feet in place, he finally managed to reel in his catch enough for it to wash up against the banks of the creek. There, sputtering and choking, lay the least likely thing they had expected to find; even less likely then the alleged, baby unagi.

"Azula!" they gasped in unison as the fallen princess before them wheezed up a mouthful of less-then-clean water. Without missing a beat, Toph quickly restrained their new discovery in a cocoon of rock before she had even managed to properly catch her breath.

Blinking the sewer water from her eyes, Azula gazed upon her attackers with disbelief. "…You've got to be kidding me…" she mused, a low graininess to her voice neither had remembered hearing before. "I spend years plotting my escape from that god-awful hell hole Zuzu left me in to rot, only to run into _you two_? The spirits must hate me more than I thought…"

Sokka smirked. "Sorry _princess_, better luck next time!"

The firebender merely growled in response, wedging an arm free and swiping at her captors with razor-sharp nails. Toph, ducking from the attack, managed to quickly secure her free arm by extending the rock cocoon up towards her neck, leaving only Azula's head free. Although safe from her strike, Toph's hairpiece immediately came tumbling down, and her hair, once again, fell down in a thick, unkempt mess.

Her eyes following the small, metal object as it rolled across the ground, Azula spoke once more. "That's mine; give it back!" she demanded, struggling in her earth-restraints.

"Sorry but its Toph's now," Sokka replied casually, picking it up from the ground and dusting it off with his fingers. "Here," he said, handing it over to his friend, "It looks better on you anyway."

Toph smiled. "Keep it. You can put it back in after we get this crazy bitch back to her cell." Sokka smiled in return, the two completely ignoring the disgruntled princess as they shared a brief moment.

"Sounds like a plan…" he mused.

* * *

**Oh how the sprirts must hate Azula...hehe**

**And real quick. We actually reread our prompt for Love and found a couple of really bad grammer mistakes that are driving us crazy! We still think the story is cute, but we want to know if you guys think it would be worth it to repost it after a quick proof read or to just leave it as it is. Please let us know, because we really feel like we half-assed it...**


	13. 48 Kiss

**DUN DUN DUN DUN! Just like we promised, here is the next chapter in our help/bound story. Will this be it? Most likely, seeing how writing this little drabble took us so long anyway and its not even very good. The prompt is kiss, so obviously for those who read bound, that little thing that happened around the end might just be mentioned and discussed. Things in italics are Sokka thinking to himself, so excuse the messiness and overuse of the ... because thoughts are messy like that.**

**Overall thoughts on this three-parter: it was a fun ride, with an excuse to go crazy-deep into tokkangst. The ending isn't great, but we liked doing it.**

**Disclaimer monster is busy fighting zombies right now, please leave a message after the beep...**

**...beep...**

**Marla, "Hey disclaimer, we know your busy right now, but don't forget to mention how me and RubyT don't own ATLA. Oh, and pick up some chips on the way back."**

**-end of messages-**

* * *

A cold sweat formed across Lao's brow. At his side, Poppy hid an audible gasp behind the tips of her manicured fingernails. Both paled, eyes growing wide at the news they had been delivered.

"What do you mean she's gone?" he demanded from the head of his security, of whom had been given the unfortunate task of informing the man of his daughter's disappearance.

Li remained stoic, however, like the professional he was. "Toph is nowhere to be found, sir. Perhaps she ran away again?"

Lao shook his head. "How is this possible? She's still recovering from the operation."

Poppy gasped once again, her eyes growing even wider. "You don't suppose she was kidnapped, do you?"

Any remaining color drained from his face. "There's no other explanation… Li, I want every one of your men out immediately! The thief couldn't have gotten far!"

Li nodded. "Yes sir."

* * *

Back at the inn, Toph laid awake in the dark; not that there was much of a difference between dark and light for her. From the floor she could hear Sokka's gentle snoring as he slumbered on into the night.

She sighed. 'What was I thinking? Of course I'd just freak him out. Stupid Toph, stupid!' the girl ranted in her mind, tossing over in the hopes of finding a more comfortable position.

Though the unbearably thin walls, she could hear everything in the world around them. To her left, a girl was weeping softly until a sharp slapping sound was heard; followed by a voice commanding her to be quiet. On her right, the squeak of bedsprings alone was enough to make her want to vomit. All throughout the night, she heard the sounds of doors slamming, floors creaking, beds squeaking, people sobbing, people laughing, and so on and so forth.

Toph groaned and covered her face with a pillow. How anyone could fall asleep with all this noise was beyond her. Sokka seemed to manage, but she'd bet he could sleep though a hurricane if he wanted.

Downstairs she could hear doors sliding open from the outside as several strangers walked in. Their tones were muffled, making it impossible for her to quite make out the words; however the man's voice was familiar.

She sat up in her bed. "No…" she muttered, straining herself to listen. "It couldn't be…Sokka get up!"

Toph chucked her pillow in the direction of his snoring. He grumbled and rolled over to face the wall. "…Five more minutes…" he mumbled groggily.

Footsteps drew nearer as the group made its way up the stairs. "My sincerest apologies!" the gruff voice of the innkeeper spoke hastily. "I assure you if I'd had known the girl was a Bei Fong I would've never…"

"Yes, yes of course," Li's voice cut him off, a tinge of irritation towards the man's constant apologizing. "Now you're sure they're still here?"

All color drained from Toph's face. "Sokka get up now!" she demanded quietly between gritted teeth. The boy merely mumbled something unintelligible and covered his face with a blanket. Unsure of what else to do, she reached down blindly in his direction, only to loose her balance and come crashing down on top of his sleeping form.

"Toph! What're you…" he started before she quickly clamped a hand over his mouth and pointed in the direction of the door.

"Someone's coming," she whispered.

A loud knock sounded from behind the wooden door. "Open up!" a man's voice demanded. A moment passed before they heard the jingling of keys.

Sokka froze. He franticly glanced around for way to escape, but there was none to be found. Toph clung to him desperately on the floor. "It's Li. He's the head of my Dad's security. What're we going to do?"

"I have an idea," he whispered finally, snatching his bag and quickly rummaging though it. "But you have to trust me."

The door burst open, and in stepped a middle-aged man in a Bei Fong guard uniform, the seal of the golden boar sparkling in a crest one the shoulder. Behind him, there stepped two others in less adorned uniforms followed by the innkeeper in a clearly uncomfortable position. Without hesitation, Sokka pulled out his space sword and held it against Toph's neck, unsheathing a bit of the blade and pressing it flat against her skin.

"Don't come any closer!" he warned, pulling them both off the ground. Toph thrashed in his grip as she was forced to stand, wincing from the pain in her feet.

She growled. "What are you doing?"

"Saving our lives," he whispered. "Keep looking scared, I think they're buying it."

Li and his other guards stiffened. "Let's not do anything hasty now…" he said cautiously, raising his hands. He hazarded a step nearer and Sokka pressed the sword tighter against her skin to appear convincing.

"Watch it!" she breathed.

Loosing his grip just barely, he continued eyeing Li as the man stepped back to his former distance. "I'll do it! Just back away and let us out and nobody has to get hurt."

"You wouldn't do that…" Li challenged, glaring at them from across the room.

"Just watch me…"

The intense moment wore on as neither budged from their position. Toph bit her lip, the sharp pain in her feet overwhelming as she silently prayed their plan would work. From behind the three guards, the innkeeper's eyes glanced nervously from Sokka to Li to Toph as he silently pondered if he could somehow be held responsible.

Finally Li spoke. "Let him pass…" he muttered, gesturing to the two others without once taking his eyes off of them. The other guards obeyed, dragging the innkeeper out as well. Reluctantly, Li followed them out.

"Let's go," he whispered, wrapping an arm around Toph's middle and helping her cross the room. Leaving behind his bag, Sokka carefully entered the hallway; not once dropping the sword from her neck. Li glared at him, but made no move to stop them.

Just when they had reached the top of the stairs and were about to descend, Lee finally spoke; stopping the two in their tracks. "Wait a moment…You're one of the Avatar's friends!" He smirked at this discovery. "You wouldn't dare hurt her. Guards, arrest him!"

Quickly, Sokka picked Toph off the ground and sprinted down the stairs; the two unnamed guards following close behind. They burst out into the city streets and he glanced around desperately in search of an escape route.

"There!" he couldn't help but exclaim, catching sight of Master Ping's merchant vessel; the same one he had arrived in a day earlier.

With the kind of speed only possible with that mixture of panic and adrenaline he had grown so used to in the past year, Sokka dashed down the street with Toph in his arms. Several strangers eyed them suspiciously as the duo nearly ran them down, ducking and leaping over the kind of obstacles you only had in your way when you were running from something _very_ dangerous.

Toph, although unable to see, still managed to bend several chunks of earth from the ground and heave them behind in an unorganized manner; unfortunately inflicting more damage upon several innocent citizens then the men on their trail.

"My Cabbages!" they could hear a man shriek from somewhere vaguely behind as a large chunk of street destroyed a passing vender. Sokka glanced back to catch sight of Li's men as they stumbled amongst the green vegetables, slowing the group down considerably.

He smiled. "We're almost there!" the warrior said enthusiastically, feeling his friend clutching his shoulders with a panicked desperation.

Toph nodded. "Aye, aye captain," she replied nervously, eyes squeezed tight as he sprinted across the wooden docks.

A man stocking the ship, noticing the panicked duo as they approached, stepped aside and motioned a clear path onto the hull. "Thank you!" Sokka quickly shouted, not breaking pace for anything as he reached a hand into his pocket and tossed him a small white lotus tile for good measure. The man merely snatched it and nodded before returning to his task.

Inside the hull of the ship, Sokka finally plopped himself onto the metal floors and sighed as the man outside quickly sealed them in. Toph, now on his lap, quickly scurried off and instead sat at his left side, leaning her head against his shoulder as he panted from exhaustion.

Outside, Toph could hear Li's voice argue with the man, demanding to know where she had disappeared to. "I'm sorry, I didn't get a good look," the helpful stranger lied, his voice steady and calm. "I've been busy all morning loading the ship."

Li growled. "Very well," he spat, frustrated at having lost their trail. "Men, lets search the alleyways; maybe they turned a corner while we weren't looking."

Finally she released her own sigh of relief. "Nice work out there, captain boomerang," she mumbled. Sokka smiled, happy that, all things considered, she was still in the mood to grant him a nickname.

"Thanks. Things should be smooth sailing from here on out. How are you're feet?"

"A little sore," she answered honestly, stretching both legs straight out in front of her, where Sokka could see her bandaged feet speckled with tiny bits of blood at the heel.

Gingerly, he leaned down and grasped her right foot, inspecting it closely. "I don't have any more spare bandages. I left them all in my bag back at the inn."

Toph shrugged and for a while conversation between the two came to a halt. From outside, they could hear the sloshing of waves against the ship as it began to depart for Ba Sing Se. She smiled as she thought of reuniting with her old friends, all of whom she had missed so dearly.

"Hey Toph…" Sokka suddenly began, addressing the elephant in the room. "I'm sorry if things got a little…weird last night…"

She scoffed and turned her head away with a scowl. "Whatever Sokka…we don't have to talk about it."

There was silence for moment. "Its not that I don't…" he started, but trailed off midway. "It was just kind of…surreal."

Toph said nothing, merely keeping her head pointed away and allowing her bangs to drip lazily into her face, creating a safe curtain of hair to protect her from his gaze. The ship rocked dramatically to the left and she secretly began to feel the warning signs of upcoming sea-sickness, but refused to show it in his presence.

"…Why did you kiss me?" he asked, softly enough so that she could choose to ignore the question if she so pleased.

Instead, she shrugged. "…I don't know…" Toph answered honestly; just as quiet as him. "…I'm sorry…I just thought that…" She shook her head, and started over. "I'm sorry if I freaked you out. I guess I was just feeling a little…lonely."

He lifted an arm and gently wrapped it around her shoulders. "It's okay. I mean, yeah it was kinda weird, but I shouldn't have acted like such a jerk." Toph perked up her head a bit, surprised by her friend's sudden apology. The action not missed on him, Sokka continued. "You were all emotional and stuff; and I'm sorry if I insulted you. It's not that your not…you know…I just don't think…your age…not thinking clearly…" he stuttered as his speech slowly crashed and burned.

"Its okay…you don't have to make up excuses. You clearly don't feel that way and I guess I was just being an idiot."

Sokka glanced over at his friend, her head tilted down once again with a curtain of black masking her from the world. "No…I mean yeah…well…uh…" he stumbled stupidly. Frustrated, he slapped his own forehead and leaned back against the metal wall behind them.

_**Could**__ he feel that way? No, of course not. Not towards Toph; the little sister he never had. Not towards this little girl…But then again…No! It was wrong…well…three years isn't a total stretch…how old was her fiancé again?_ Sokka rubbed his face. _What was he thinking? Toph? __**His**__ Toph...well not __**his**__ Toph…she was just __**a**__ Toph…No, not __**a**__ Toph…__**The**__ Toph. Yeah, that sounded good…wait, how did he get on the subject of pronouns? Ugh! Why was his mind collapsing on itself!_

Sokka slapped his forehead again in the hopes of clearing his mind. "Okay…" he breathed, tilting his head back up to watch her. "Toph, what happened was wrong. I mean, yeah it was kind of…neat…but our ages…well, it's just not right. I like you Toph, really, but you're just too young to be doing stuff like that."

She stirred. "…You like me?" the girl asked quietly. He said nothing, too confused with himself to give her a straightforward answer. Toph frowned. "_To young_?" she suddenly growled, "Sokka its three years! Wait a couple more years and it won't even matter!"

"And on that day I'll probably be the first one in a _very_ long list of guys that are interested, but until then there is no way I'm letting you mess around with boys and that's final," he stated forcefully, hoping his brother-like concern near the end would be enough to distract from whatever the other part meant. _A confession? No…_

Toph snorted. "Thanks for you're concern _dad_, but I just got rid of an over controlling parent and I don't think I'll be needing other one for some time; all things considered," she shot back, pointing at the tiny, busted feet lying out in front of her. "I'll do _what_ I want, with _who_ I want."

Sokka's eye twitched. "Do you even realize what you're saying?" he shouted, genuinely confused at what role he was supposed to play in the whole scene. _How could he be the overbearing father __**and**__ the 'who I want'? Was she using him to rebel against himself? Nothing made sense anymore…_

"Of course I do," she muttered stubbornly, secretly just as confused as he was.

There was an awkward silence as each of them attempted to piece together what was happening. Toph pushed back a strand of hair from her face and Sokka rubbed at his eyes as they thought on ways to safely continue the conversation and still reach an intelligent conclusion.

"So let me get this straight…" Toph finally spoke, causing her friend to lower his hands back down to their sides in attention. "You like me, but you won't do anything about it because I'm too young?"

He froze, his mind spinning a mile a minute. _**Did**__ he like Toph?_ Sokka glanced over to where she sat on his side - _her eyes, two glowing orbs of silver-green; her hair, a dark, raven-colored curtain shielding her from the outside world; her skin, a pale, white cloth stretched delicately over lean muscle without a visible blemish or wrinkle in sight…_

Was it normal for_ friends_ to use metaphors in describing each others traits? He figured it probably wasn't, so he gave her an honest answer. "Pretty much, yeah…"

She scowled. "That's the stupidest thing I ever heard." Toph muttered; punching her friend in the arm and enjoying him wince in pain. "…but I guess I'll take it…"

Sokka smiled. "So…what exactly does that make us now?"

She said nothing for a while. "Friends…?"

He shook his head. "No, that's what we were before…maybe just…hmm…" Lifting a hand to his chin, he thought carefully for a minute before finally giving up. "Well…let's just think up something later. For now, how about we get some sleep? You look like you need it."

Toph smiled and leaned against his shoulder, cherishing the feel of his skin against hers without needing to feel guilty about it. "…So…I know you don't want to do anything, but do you think I could have another kiss?" she asked shyly, a blush creeping across her cheeks.

He was silent a moment, before finally deciding that it would be okay. Sokka gingerly lifted her chin and smiled; glancing around nervously once last moment before pressing his lips to hers. Her blush fading as the action became more natural, Toph reached both hands up and wrapped her arms around his neck as he rested his on her waist.

The kiss lasting much longer than he had anticipated, he couldn't help himself as her tongue slipped past his lips and found his. She moaned and reached both hands further up and into his hair, pulling out his wolf's tail in one fluid motion. They pressed tighter, both feeling their lungs start to collapse from lack of use, but unwilling to break yet for fear of this being their last chance.

Their air supply depleting at an alarming rate, Sokka took the moment to quickly run his hands across her young figure, which was much curvier than he had anticipated. Maybe he had been underestimating her…

But then, as her hands drifted down to his belt with a surprising quickness, he suddenly pulled back with a jolt. They both panted for a second, catching their breath as they retracted their hands from each others bodies. Toph blushed, a shy smile spreading across her face as she turned away.

After a second, Sokka cleared his throat and muttered softly to himself. "…yeah I'm a pervert…"

Toph just shrugged. "Maybe…but you're _my _pervert now."

* * *

**Indeed he is Toph. Indeed he is...**

**Btw, how do you guys like how often we use random background characters? Like Jun in Death and Foamy in Love (didn't see him? hes the guy with cronic rabies...yes we ship FoamyXSuki). If anybody wants to see a certain character just send us a shout out and we'll see what we can do. They can be as major as Zuko or as random as that guy on the train sucking on corn. The sky is the limit!**

**Also; special thanks to Ann Bei Fong, tsukiomi, tomboy 26, itshardtostealfatkids, and everybody else for reviewing. Those little ol' reviews keep us going you know? Even all the people favoriting us and putting us on your author alert, THANK YOU! You guys are the best!**

**And now, we just want you all to know that we are planning a sequal to Costume. You know what that means? A _very _drunken Sokka hitting on random girls! We know, we're exsited too! A little hint - Zuko is going to HATE him by the end of that party...**


	14. 37 Tackless

**Heres Tackless. We hope you like it because there was another story we were working on that was going to take this prompt and this one was going to be hate. But of course things never quite work out that way do they? Now we have to figure out what to call the other story! Maybe by the ending we'll come up with something...**

**WOW! Two drabbles in one day? Nicely done RubyT!**

**Oh Marla, your too kind! (insert long list of back and forth complements we really dont deserve)**

**Disclaimer monster says: THEY DONT OWN ATLA BECAUSE IF THEY DID SUKI WOULD BE MARRIED TO THE FOAMING MOUTH GUY AND TOKKA WOULD RAIN SUPREME! MUHAHA!**

* * *

The door creaked shut behind Sokka with a whisper as he carefully stumbled across the room to light a candle. It was always irritating how dark their home was when he got back late, and he was beginning to wonder if it was her way of trying to get him killed. It would explain a lot…

"Where've you been?" a voice demanded from the shadows of the hallway. Sokka jumped at the sound and turned back to face his girlfriend, standing several feet away with a look that could kill.

"Spirits Toph, don't sneak up on me like that." He sat the candle back down on the table and began towards her, only for his advances to be quickly rebuffed

Her unkempt hair cast a mysterious shadow across her face in the near-blackness of the room. "I asked you a question," she spat back, folding her arms in a no-nonsense pose.

Sokka shrugged. "I had to run a few errands." He took a step farther into the room, only for his foot to catch on something on the floor and send him crashing down. Muttering a few curses, he looked up to catch a small satisfying smirk upon her face before it quickly evaporated away. "Damn Toph. Can't you keep a few lights on for me sometime? I know watching me in pain is amusing, but seriously, I'm gonna break my neck one of these days."

"What kind of errands?" she asked, refusing to let him change the subject.

He ignored her and pulled himself up from the floor, making his way to another table and lighting an oil lamp that sat there. "What did I even trip on? Your shoes? You never even wear shoes! I'm beginning to think you're booby trapping this place..."

"You're changing the subject," she stated bluntly, not budging an inch.

Sokka shrugged as began lighting another lamp. "It's not a big deal. General Pong's daughter was at the meeting today and he had to stay late so he asked me to walk her home."

Toph scoffed. "What's a matter with her? She loose her feet or something?"

"No, its dark out. I was just doing a nice thing, Toph."

She leaned back against the wall; unconvinced. "Sure…" she muttered, her pale, unfocused eyes somehow catching his and forcing him to look away. He always loved her eyes, but when she was angry there was a certain gleam in them that was bone chilling.

"Are you seriously mad at me because I did General Pong a favor? Spirits Toph, it's always something with you, isn't it? Don't you trust me?"

"Not with that heartbeat I don't."

Shit. He always forgot about that. It was an eerie talent; but most of all it would be his death sentence one of these days.

Sokka took a deep breath in a misguided attempt to calm himself, which only furthered her suspicions. "I promise Toph; all I did was help General Pong out. I didn't go anywhere else; I just walked her home then came back here. I swear."

She narrowed her eyes at him. He was telling the truth, but the nerves were still there. Something was off. "Did she invite you in for tea or anything?"

"Yes, but I didn't have any."

"But did you go into her house?"

"…no"

She frowned. "You're lying Sokka."

He glared down at her feet and took another deep breath. _'Come on Sokka,' _he thought_, 'you can get though this without getting your ass kicked. Just tell her the truth, she'd understand.'_

"Okay I did go into her house, but only for a few minutes."

"What happened?"

"We talked."

"Is that all?"

"Yep."

Toph straightened from the wall and balled her hands into fists at her sides. "You're lying!" she all but shouted, anger leaking into her voice by the gallons.

Sokka froze. _'Just tell her the truth, damn it!' _his internal voice piped up_, 'lying to her will just make her mad. It wasn't a big deal. Its not like Toph ever blows things way out of proportion…'_

'_Now who's the liar_?' he shot back.

Toph, impatient at his lack of an answer, stepped closer to him. A small growl erupted from her throat. "Quit lying to me Sokka! Tell me what happened!"

"Nothing happened!" he shouted back, foolishly abandoning the wiser of his two voices, in favor of denial. This, unsurprisingly, did not wield the best results.

"YOU'RE LYING!" she screamed back with that infamous temper of hers.

'_Back down before she kills you!_' his internal voice screamed, but once again he pushed it away.

"I'M NOT LYING! MAYBE YOUR FEET ARE JUST BROKEN!"

* * *

Outside, neighbors looked to one another as a way to acknowledge the ruckus, but none dared investigate. This wasn't the first argument their new neighbors had fought at such a volume; and at least this time they weren't screaming anything embarrassing that they would all have to pretend not to hear.

* * *

"THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!" she shouted, the widows rattling from the pure volume of her voice. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. Instead, Sokka just stood across from her, a dark pit forming in his stomach as a nerve-racking silence pressed on between them.

Finally she muttered between gritted teeth, a monstrous anger boiling just beneath the surface that she didn't even bother attempting to hide. "Just tell me what happened, Sokka. And you better not lie…"

He swallowed. "Okay. I did go into her house…"

"And?"

"…and, maybe, she might of…probably…accidently…kissed me…" Sokka stumbled, taking a step back for good measure.

Her eye twitched, but otherwise she remained still. Toph took a step closer and felt him brace for whatever verbal lashing that may come. Instead, however, she spoke in a low voice, barely above a whisper. "Before I _kill _you, would you like to explain the situation?"

He opened his mouth, and immediately out poured the verbal vomit, "We were walking back to her house and she invites me in, but I didn't really want to go in, but I didn't want to be rude, so I follow her into the house and she made a pot of green tea, but I don't really like green tea, so I didn't have any and then she asked me about how we defeated the Firelord and how I was a war hero and that I was really brave and then something about some rumors that I'm kind of a player or something, which I think is a load of crap because its not like I go out looking for girls all the time, they just sort of find me, like Ty-Lee and that one girl you earthbent out a window that one time for groping me in that bar, although to be fair I think she might have possibly been a prosti-"

Toph narrowed her eyes as he rambled, silently agreeing that if he didn't get to the point soon she would just go ahead and punch him in the face.

"–And she kept acting really flirty, but I thought she was just being nice, and when I got up to leave, instead of shaking my hand she just comes over and kisses me…" Sokka stopped, praying his explanation could end there.

"Then what?" she asked, her voice still in that low, dangerous tone.

He hesitated. "I left and came home."

Toph closed her eyes and sighed, her jaw still clenched tight. He wasn't lying, but that didn't make it hurt any less. They were silent for a minute and Sokka relaxed a bit before she finally spoke. "Was…was she prettier than me?" she asked softly.

He tensed again. "Huh? What does that have to do with anything?" Her eyes shot open and she balled her hands into even tighter fists. Her boyfriend swallowed; that was definitely the wrong answer. "Of course not, Toph," he quickly covered.

But instead Toph went even redder. "You're lying, Sokka! You cheated on me and now you're lying about it!"

Now it was his turn to get angry. "I_ cheated_ on you? I did not cheat on you! She caught me off guard! Spirits Toph; every time! I can't even take three steps out the door without you going ape-shit over _somebody_!"

"Well what about that dumb floozy at the market the other day? If I hadn't been there you probably would've gone home with her and completely forgot about me! And don't _even_ try and tell me she wasn't pretty cuz I felt your heart nearly burst outta your freaking chest!"

"I got us the discount!" he defended, voice rising even higher with each response.

Toph took a step closer, but this time he didn't shy away. "You got _something_ alright!" she screeched, pointing a finger directly into his face and nearly jabbing him in the nose. "Besides, how can I trust you if every other word is a lie?"

He scowled. "You're magic feet maybe?" he shot back, rolling his eyes.

That was enough to set her off. With an animalistic growl, Toph bent a number of small boulders from the floor and heaved them in his direction. Gasping, Sokka dodged them just in time; however they tore though the wall of the house behind him and left a gapping hole leading directly into the city streets.

"WHAT THE HELL, TOPH!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, glancing back to see the damage that she had caused. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THAT IS GOING TO COST TO FIX?"

"WHY DON'T YOU GET YOUR _NEW_ _GIRLFRIEND_ TO PAY FOR IT?"

"MAYBE I WILL! AND YOU KNOW WHAT? SHE _WAS_ PRETTIER THAN YOU! SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL AND SMART AND FUNNY AND, BEST OF ALL, _NOT _SOME SHORT-TEMPERED LITTLE BADGERMOLE!"

Her eyes widened. "DID YOU JUST CALL ME A BADGERMOLE!"

"YEAH I DID! YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS THAT _SHE_'SA LADY AND _YOU'RE_ AN ABUSIVE, JEALOUS, SELF-CONSIOUS BI-"But before he could finish, Toph launched a massive boulder, easily twice the size of the others, directly into his chest.

There, the momentum of her attack sent him flying though an unharmed piece of wall and out into the city streets, where he landed harshly with a thud. Sokka inhaled an unsteady breath and tilted his head up slowly to catch a glimpse of his girlfriend still standing inside what remained of their living room.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE SOKKA!" she screamed. It really was amazing how such a booming voice could come out of such a small, young woman.

* * *

Nearby, several neighbors peaked out their doors, much less surprised than people should be at such an event. After all, this would be the couple's…what? Fourth time destroying a considerable amount of their own home?...

* * *

He groaned and flopped his head back into the street, only to feel himself fall back into what could've been mud, or what he prayed wasn't something worse. Laying still for a while, he clutched at where the boulder had made contact with his body and felt around to make sure nothing was broken. Luckily, it would just be another massive bruise.

In hours, or possibly minutes, a group of Di Li agents (no longer corrupted by the power of Long Feng since the end of the war) crowded around him. "Do you need some help, sir?" one of them asked, extending a hand.

Sokka groaned and reached out to take it without comment, allowing the man to help him to his feet. "Thanks," he murmured.

"Would you like to press charges?" the helpful agent asked, watching as he began to brush away the mud and 'various substances' from his clothing. Sokka shook his head, instead informing them that he would be fine and planned to stay with his sister for the night. The group nodded and allowed him on his way.

* * *

Morning came in the form of a splash of water in the face.

Sokka groaned and rubbed furiously at his eyes. "What was that for?" he whined, opening them to reveal Katara standing over with an empty water sling.

"For getting me up at midnight last night. You interrupted us in the middle of something very important, you know," she responded, an unsympathetic frown on her face.

Sokka shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, yeah; repopulating the air nomads and all that junk…"

Her cheeks flushed a bright red. "Not that!" she all but shouted, causing her husband to perk up from the kitchen. "We were going over some peace treaties between the former Firenation colonies and the Earthkingdom."

"Sounds like somebody's up…" Aang said, wondering into the room with that permanent grin on his face.

'_And why shouldn't he be happy?'_ Sokka thought. _'I'm sure his girl doesn't try and kill him every week!'_

Katara continued scowling at her brother as Aang tenderly wrapped an arm around her waist. "Honestly Sokka! No wonder Toph kicked you out..." she scolded.

He sat up, hair still dripping wet from his sister's morning wake up call. "Hey! It's not my fault she's got jealously issues!"

The waterbender rolled her eyes. "Well, if you're going to stay here I'm putting you to work. Go clean yourself up. You're going to help me carry groceries."

Instead, Sokka groaned and pulled the pillow over his head, mumbling something incoherent into the cushions of the couch.

Several waterbending filled moments later, Sokka leaned against the side of a street vender's cart and sighed. "Can we go now?" He complained as Katara was busy inspecting the quality of a few mangos. "You didn't even let me look around that new weapons shop that opened up a week ago."

"Uh, this is trip for me Sokka, not you. Next time you wanna go swing a few knives around, maybe you should make sure you're not mooching off you're little sister," she replied, still not taking her eyes off the produce in her hand.

"I'd like to see you try and grab you're stuff with a psycho earthbender chucking rocks at your head!" he defended. "I really know how to pick 'em, don't I?"

Katara shrugged. "Well, you _did_ call her a badgermole. If you think about it, that's like mocking her blindness and calling her fat all in one."

Sokka glared at his sister. "Who's side are you on anyway? She tried to _murder_ me, Katara! All because she can't control her stupid jealousy issues. She's messed up…"

Katara just shrugged again and moved on to the turnips. "I'm staying out of this one…" she mumbled, tossing her brother the sack of mangos and grabbing a basket.

Then suddenly he heard a familiar sound somewhere in the distance. Sokka looked around to locate the source and soon discovered Toph standing a ways off in the crowd laughing. He gasped and ducked down before realizing that she was blind and straightened up again to spy on her. Luckily she must not have been able to recognize his form in the bustling crowd.

"What is it?" Katara asked, turning her attention to him after catching his sudden reaction.

"It's Toph. I think she's over there talking to somebody…" he replied, squinting for a better look. "Who's the guy in the chair?"

His sister gazed over to where Sokka was pointing before turning her attention back to loading the basket. "That's just Teo. Remember, he moved here a couple of months ago to attend the university?"

He carelessly dropped Katara's sack of mangos on the ground and strained his neck for a better look. "You're right," he agreed, watching as his girlfriend talk effortlessly with the wheelchair-bound boy on her left. They suddenly snickered amongst each other and Sokka unknowingly felt an envious pout worm its way onto his face.

Katara smiled. "Are you_ jealous _Sokka?" she teased, looking from her brother's expression to the giggling couple standing in front of a small cabbage cart.

"Of course not," he replied, too defensively to have possibly been the truth. Sokka glared intensely at the two of them. Was it just him or did they almost look like they were…flirting? He scowled at the idea.

Then suddenly, as Toph said something that must've been hilarious, Teo chuckled and patted her friendlily on the back; which, because of his position sitting so much lower than her, accidently came off a little more risqué than intended. Teo blushed and quickly retracted his hand, obviously apologizing like mad, to which Toph just smirked.

Sokka's eyes narrowed. It may or may not have been an accident and he may or may not be in a wheelchair, but at that moment in time, the water tribesman saw red. Nobody, he repeats, _nobody_ was going to touch his Toph like that and get away with it.

"What the _hell_ is going on here!" he demanded, storming between Teo and the girl. He glared down him with a hateful intensity. "Did you just do what I think you did?"

Teo swallowed, his eyes going wide with fear. "No! I-I'd never…I mean, I know she's…" he stammered, shrinking even lower into his chair.

"Leave him alone Sokka," Toph spoke up, coming to her friend's side and pointing a finger at her boyfriend accusingly.

"And what do you think _you're_ doing? Since when do you _giggle_? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were flirting with him."

Toph frowned. "And what if I was?"

His eye twitched as Katara cautiously made her way to pull Teo out of the line of fire. The boy looked at her nervously. "Katara, it was an accident I swear…" he whispered, to which the girl just shook her head.

"Trust me Teo, this has nothing to do with you…"

Toph crossed her arms out in front of her and said nothing, glaring in Sokka's general direction. His face was still flushed with anger as he spoke. "Were you?"

"What's it matter to you, huh?"

Sokka stopped a moment, eyeing her knowingly as it suddenly dawned on him. "You were doing that on purpose!" he accused. "You knew I was there the whole time, didn't you?"

Toph said nothing, but merely smirked.

"See?" Katara whispered, offering her friend a bruised mango from the bag Sokka had carelessly tossed aside.

"Do they do this a lot?" he muttered quietly.

Katara nodded. "About different things though…"

"You sadistic pain in the ass," Sokka grumbled, not quiet as venomously as one might expect, but instead with a hint of admiration.

"Sucks watching your girlfriend hit on people, doesn't it?" He nodded. "Well, welcome to my world…" she muttered, uncrossing her arms and lowering them to her sides. "…I'm sorry I almost killed you, even if you did deserve it…"

Despite himself, Sokka could feel a smile forming on his lips. Toph apologizing was a rare occurrence, especially when most of it _was_ his fault. "Sorry I'm such an ass sometimes…"

This caused her to tilt her head upwards where he could see her small, grinning face. "Now _that_ is a good apology," she replied, reaching her hand out and slipping it into his. He grinned wider and cupped her face with his free hand, tracing her lips with his thumb before pulling her into a deep kiss.

Nearby, Teo glanced over to Katara. "Uh…what just happened?" he asked, raising a brow as the couple in front of them slowly evolved from kissing in public, to full on making out.

The waterbender sighed and pushed him away back towards the turnip cart. "Those two have absolutely no shame…" she muttered. Behind them, they heard the sudden crashing of a cart turning over as Toph and Sokka accidently backed into it in their moment of passion.

"My cabbages!"

* * *

**Thats one way of destroying a cabbage cart. hehe...**

**Anyway, like we said in our last drabble, give us some minor character to use. Come on, we like a challenge! Anyone! (preferably alive)**

**Oh and just to ask...what do you all think about songfics? We've never done one, but we're trying to broaden our horizons a little.**

**And on that note...what if we reposted hair as a stand alone fic (still keeping this one here of course) and attached a lemon onto it as what happens afterwards? Would we loose your respect? Would you read it? Would you throw rotten fruit at your computers thinking it could hit us, only to ruin your computer screen and end up sueing us over it?**

**...yeah...please review our lame drabble...itd make us all smiley!**


	15. 22 Diversion

**We are on a roll! Another story? That little trip to the waterpark really must've helped us clear are heads cuz now we're just cranking out all kinds of crap! Here's diversion. A little hint? It's kind of a roll reversal of our first story Ice; but instead its Toph who's the oblivous one and Sokka who's got some 'splaining to do.**

**Disclaimer: We don't own atla. However we do own the mini series 'Pimpin' Round the World with Sokka and Zuko'...you know...the one RubyT wrote in her head. Cuz lets face it, those guys are pimps.**

* * *

"And so, blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah, Water tribe, blah blah blah," Sokka heard the Firelord say, resting his face in his hand and staring out the window. Outside the war room, he could see a small garden with a placid, little pond; complete with a perfect family of turtle ducks swimming about. A beautiful butterfly floated past in the perfect Firenation day, and Sokka couldn't help but sigh as Zuko droned on and on about embargos or whatever it was he jabbered on about.

Even the plan guy had his limits.

Suddenly, his senses dimming from boredom, a strange object fluttered past the widow. He perked up, straining to see just what it could have been. Sokka blinked, and once more something dashed across his field of vision…no, not something, some_one._

"Toph?" he whispered. Suddenly, before he knew what he was doing, Sokka rose from his seat and dashed out the door, ignoring the confused protests of the fellow diplomats around him.

Outside, the Firenation palace garden was as beautiful as ever. The fire lilies were in bloom and the animals seemed to wonder without fear. It seemed unreal, just how perfect things were.

And there, sitting on a small bolder amongst the perfection, was his friend. Toph smiled, her milky eyes glistening in the sunlight. "Hi Sokka," she greeted him, still posed gracefully on the perfectly round bolder directly in the center of the grounds.

"Hey Toph, aren't you supposed to be in the meeting?" he asked, scratching his head as he approached her.

She giggled in a very un-tophlike manner. As a matter of fact, she was incredibly un-tophlike all together. For one, she was wearing a _dress_; long and flowing and mint colored that matched her sparkling, silver-green eyes. Her hair was no longer up in her usual bun, but instead hung limp past her shoulders and down her back; her bangs brushed back behind her ears. She was beautiful; an image to match the perfect Firenation garden around them.

He swallowed and stumbled closer. "So what's with the dress? I-I mean it looks nice, but it seems a little…random." Toph just smiled and rose from her stone seat, approaching him slowly. Her eyes somehow found his, and he held his breath.

Suddenly, mere feet away, a large, wooden box sprung down from the sky, snatching her and trapping her within its clutches. A figure leapt from the tree above and grinned wickedly.

"Azula!" he exclaimed, drawing his space sword as the fallen princess motioned for a group of unnamed men to drag her away.

"Don't bother, peasant!" she beamed, crossing her arms as several more men sprung from hidden places in the garden, stomping the beautiful flowers and animals that had so symbolized perfection.

Sokka gritted his teeth and sprung into action without hesitating. The clang of metal on metal rang out as he battled with several sword-wielding guards. With a careful swing, he managed to decapitate two of his attackers, only to have three more take their place. Azula cackled evilly in his ears, but he forged on; despite being horribly outnumbered.

Another clash of metal on metal, the swoosh as his blade sliced either air or tissue, and the grunts and moans of his victims could be heard clear as day. With a magnificent leap into the air, Sokka struck down four more men in a single swoop. Azula's smile faltered a bit as she watched her forces dwindle in front of her very eyes.

Finally, it was not long before Sokka remained the only one standing; every one of her men lying dead on the ground. He grinned as her evil smile collapsed into a death-like scowl. "Fine! I'll handle you myself!" she growled, raising her arms into a fire bending stance.

Sokka just smirked. "Let's dance."

And, in a flash, Azula unleashed a gigantic blast of blue fire headed straight towards him. He quickly ducked the attack, now running towards her at incredible speed. She scowled deeper and attacked again, frustrated by his agility as he dodged this one just as easily. Again, she sent wave after wave of flame, only for him to evade at the last possible moment and approach that much closer to where she stood.

A bead of sweat dropped from his brow as he narrowly avoided another attack and raised his sword heroically. "Let her go, you bitch!" he screamed, swinging his space sword like a true master and decapitating his target in one epic swoop.

Azula's headless body staggered, before finally crashing to the ground at his feet. Wiping the blood and sweat from his forehead, Sokka walked the rest of the way to Toph's cage and sliced open the lock.

"Oh Sokka!" she gushed, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "You saved me!"

He grinned and gathered her into his arms, brushing a strand of hair out of her face and back behind her ear. "It was nothing really…" he shrugged, causing her to giggle. In a moment, she pressed her lips to his and they embraced one another tight in the garden, suddenly surrounded by a field of panda lilies that had managed to survive the battle.

"I need you now, Sokka! Take-"

But suddenly the scene evaporated away to the beat of a large thumping noise. Sokka jerked his head awake as the sound echoed all throughout the war room. Several people glared at him as he was drug back to reality.

"Sokka quit daydreaming! This is important!" his sister berated him to his left.

He blinked. "I wasn't daydreaming…I was just pondering Zuko's question very, very carefully," he protested as Katara raised a brow, disbelieving him.

"Then what _was_ Zuko's question?"

Sokka gulped and began to rub the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "When he's finally going to let us off for lunch?" he tried, earning him several annoyed groans from the crowd.

Somewhere across from the room, he heard Toph snicker. "Aw, lay off 'em sugar-queen," she defended in the least diplomatic way possible. "Hell, Sparky over here almost put me to sleep with that sappy end-of-the-war speech; and we all know snoozles doesn't have half the self control I do…"

Several unnamed diplomats began whispering to one another and Sokka couldn't help but chuckle at their unease. Leave it to Toph to undermine the entire political structure of the Firenation culture…

"We'll be taking a sort recess…" Zuko said dryly, looking more than a little embarrassed.

Outside the overheated war room, Sokka inhaled a deep breath. He hadn't realized just how hot it was in there earlier, but was now all too aware as he brushed a few beads of sweat off his brow. Around him, many of the other diplomats began to pull on thick robes and jackets before exiting the palace; at which he just scoffed. It may have been winter to these pampered Firenation nobles, but to him 74 degrees was absolutely perfect.

Katara stumbled out of the room behind him, also relieved to be free from its ridiculously hot clutches. "Really guys, can't you at least _try _to act professional for once," she berated as Toph walked out mere seconds later, followed by Aang. Surprisingly, neither of the others seemed to notice the intense heat, and Sokka wondered if it was a water tribe thing.

Toph just grinned. "I got us out of the meeting didn't I? I don't know about the rest of you, but I skipped breakfast this morning and I'm not about to miss lunch just so Sparky can ramble on about boats."

The waterbender just rolled her eyes. "Well, me and Aang have to go talk to Zuko about something so we'll catch up with you guys later."

Aang turned to her with a lost expression. "We do?" he wondered, only for Katara to glare back as if she had already explained the situation a hundred times before. A few seconds passed before something must've occurred to him. "We do!" he exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face as the realization hit him.

Sokka looked over to Toph, who merely shrugged. "Okay then. Come on snoozles, let's go get something before Sparky comes to his senses and traps us all here for another hour."

Waving goodbye to Aang and Katara, he quickly followed her out, taking another deep breath as they wondered out into the fresh air. "So what do you think that was about?" Sokka asked.

Toph shrugged. "I'll bet they're just trying to ditch us so they can go make kissy faces at each other. The sad thing is they think their being sneaky about it; as if everyone doesn't already know."

He couldn't help but feel slightly disturbed at the idea, but was willing to shrug off the matter for now. Sooner or later though, he knew he was going to have to sit that boy down and have a long talk. Threatening the Avatar's life wasn't illegal or anything…was it?

"So…what was your daydream about?" She asked lazily. It was a simple question, but as she suddenly felt his heartbeat spring to life and his breath momentarily catch in his throat, Toph knew right then and there this was an answer she'd have to get to the bottom of.

"Meat," he lied. "I dreamed I was in a field filled with meat."

Toph smirked. It was a decent lie; knowing him she might've believed it had they been standing on wooden floors at that moment. But lucky for her, they were currently strolling along a stone pathway into town; and even luckier still, Sokka was infamously such an awful liar that she didn't even have to concentrate very hard to see past him.

"What?" he asked, catching the disbelieving smirk on her face and quickly getting defensive about it. "I'm hungry! I can dream about meat if I want!"

"You're lying Sokka," she said bluntly, jabbing a tiny fist into his arm. "Come on you can tell me. Was it about Suki?"

He flushed, racking his mind for some kind of escape. "No," he answered truthfully, glancing around for a new subject to talk about.

"Was it about Yue?"

He bit his lip. "No."

"Ty-Lee?"

"Why would I dream about her?"

Toph shrugged. "From what I hear, she's really pretty. Plus she's flexible and I know you guys like that kind of thing…"

Suddenly the duo rounded a corner and wondered into the city streets, where Sokka quickly took her hand and ran towards the first restaurant in view; praying her stomach would be enough to distract her from investigating the matter any further.

It wasn't.

"Well I can defiantly tell it was about a girl. You wouldn't get that nervous if it was anything else…" she reasoned, inhaling another mouthful of smoked sea slug.

Sokka slumped in his seat, cramming bite after bite down his throat as a way to avoid answering any unwanted questions that may pop up. He needed a diversion; because having a human lie detector grill you about something you _really_ don't want to analyze, much less confess to, was not something he could endure much longer.

Toph grinned wider. "It was about Mai wasn't it? That's why you don't want to tell me, because you know I'll go tell Zuko and he'll go kick your ass!"

"No, it wasn't about Mai. Now will you just drop it?"

Just then Aang and Katara wondered in, glancing around before spotting their table and quickly pulling up two more chairs. "So what're you guys talking about?" Katara butted in as Aang flagged down a waitress.

"Sokka's having dirty dreams about Azula."

His face grew red. "It was _not_ about Azula!"

Toph grinned even wider, if that was even possible. "Then it _was_ dirty!"

"Well no actually…I mean it would've been if Zuko hadn't…" he trailed off, officially making the transition from normal guy, to Sokka the human tomato. Katara cocked a brow, but couldn't help but giggle at her brother's expression of pure discomfort. Even Aang laughed as he glanced over the top of his menu.

"Was it about Suki?" the Avatar asked, to which Toph quickly shook her head.

"No. It also wasn't about Yue, Ty-Lee, Mai, or Azula. So who does that leave?"

Katara looked over to Aang, a devilish grin on each of their faces. "Well, I think it's pretty obvious…" he started.

Sokka's eyes grew wide. '_Oh shit'_ he thought. '_If she finds out, she'll never let me live it down…'_

Then, in an act of desperation, he flung his drink out in Katara and Aang's direction, successfully distracting them long enough for them not to complete their thought. Afterwards, because he dared not face the wraith of a dress-stained sister, Sokka sprung from his seat and made a mad dash for the door.

Katara, now growling about her ruined dress ('it was _brand_ new!') followed him out with murder in her eyes, already whipping out a stream of water from her hidden pouch. "Sokka, I am going to _kill_ you!" was the last they heard as she disappeared out into the street in search of her brother.

Toph and Aang, now alone, turned towards each other as if the whole thing never happened. "So…what were you saying again?"

He smiled and told her a name, at which she just blushed and returned to her sea slug without comment.

* * *

**Aww...**

**Oh, and how'd you like Sokka decpitating Azula? A little gruesome maybe, but hey its his daydream.**

**MARRY CHRISTMAS! (...proud to be totally not using a christmas theme...)**


	16. 47 Blush

**Admittedly, this drabble is just kind of something we cranked out in an hour cuz we were bored. Nothing really epic happens, but we liked the idea of doing the gAang in a hot tub... Simple concept, cuz we wanted to. Sorry about all the cute stuff we've been doing lately, but for whatever reason neither of us really feel like writing angst...maybe its this damn holiday season making everybody so cheery, idk. The fun stuff is great for RubyT, but I do miss the tokkangst...oh well.**

**Btw, the prompt doesn't have much to do with blushing except that a there is a lot of blushing going on. But really, what tokka story doesn't have blushing? We just wrote this and found the first prompt that would fit...we's lazy...**

**DISCLAIMER- We don't own ATLA.**

**Insert clever comment here...**

* * *

After the war, it soon became apparent that Iroh's humble life as a tea shop owner was anything but. Now that he had the kind of funds the uncle of a Firelord was granted, even a wise old man such as he couldn't help but indulge in a hedonistic desire or two. Take his home for instance.

The grand estate lay in the middle of Ba Sing Se's upper ring, and spread outward into becoming the fifth largest in the city, including the palace. There was a garden of many different exotic flowers, most of which could be harvested and ground into tea, and a placid pond that stood shimmering in the center. The home itself was crafted with the finest care by some of the local earthbending architects and stood two stories high with many rooms to hold the frequent guests he was happy to entertain. Namely they consisted of his nephew or the Avatar and friends whenever they would visit the capital for diplomatic reasons, which was more often then you'd think.

One of the most popular attractions of his home, however, had to be the grandmaster's hot spring, nestled comfortably in the far corner of the grounds. There, his overworked guests were always happy to relax in the heated waters of the pool. Admittedly, Iroh himself spent the majority of his time there as well, unwinding after a long day in his tea shop; grateful for his content and peaceful lifestyle.

That night, the entire gaang had been gathered together for a series of meetings concerning some trade disputes between the Firenation and Earthkingdom that had escalated into an ugly rivalry that now even concerned the Water tribes somehow. Each of them had stayed with Iroh on his estate, who was more than happy to entertain.

Zuko smiled cozily in his sleep, something he didn't do often when apart from his wife and infant daughter back in the Firenation. Pleasant dreams wondered though his mind in the night and he sighed contently as they continued.

Then, suddenly, two rough hands gripped him by the shoulders and shook him awake. "Zuko," a familiar voice whispered his name, but he still refused to open his eyes, instead silently praying whomever it belonged to would give up and leave. But instead the hands shook harder, forcing him to squint open and look upon his unwelcome visitors.

"Get up sparky, me and snoozles need you to come down and heat up the hot spring," the girl demanded, her friend standing inches away behind her as they both flashed the Firelord a wide smile.

Zuko grumbled and rolled over, covering his head with a pillow as he motioned the duo away. Rather than taking the hint, Sokka just smiled wider. "Of course we_ could_ always earthbend you out of bed and drag you down against your will. Right Toph?"

The girl nodded; her grin widening as the Firelord reluctantly rose from his soft bed and followed them out down the hall and into the garden. "I hate you two…" he mumbled half-heartedly as they both started to strip down to their bindings. "I thought you hated water anyway."

Toph just shrugged, letting Sokka jump in first before he leapt out with a small yelp upon realizing the water was still ice cold. "It's not very deep. Besides, Sokka says he'll watch to make sure I don't drown or anything."

"Now could you hurry up and firebend this thing? It's freezing out here," he complained.

Zuko just shrugged and hopped in, letting the cold water wake him up before sitting down and breathing into the pool. In seconds, steam erupted from the surface and Sokka dipped in a toe. Smiling, he leapt in again, splashing water all over the surrounding area.

Toph rolled her eyes and gripped onto the side before stopping in her tracks. A small trickle of fear betrayed her face as she gently slid a pale leg down under the surface and reached franticly for the bottom. "You need any help?" Sokka offered, only to be answered with a sharp head shake as she finally felt the earth underneath and swung her other leg in.

With another burst of steam, Zuko sighed contently and leaned back against the wall of the spring. "Actually, this wasn't such a bad idea…" he muttered, a relaxed smile on his face.

Toph nodded as she took her place between the two boys and stretched. "It does kind of feel nice…"

"See? You guys should listen to me more often," Sokka bragged, only to end his sentence with a yawn.

"What're you all up to?"

The three of them turned to see who had spoken, only to come face to face with Katara and Aang as they rubbed the sleep from their eyes. Sokka just smiled. "Hop in you two, the water's fine."

Not having to tell him twice, the airbender stripped down in a second and leapt into the spring, followed moments later by his, far more graceful, girlfriend.

"This is great," he commented, beginning to wrap an arm around Katara, before catching the expression on her brother's face and quickly reconsidering it.

The five of them released simultaneous sighs of contentment as they all closed their eyes. Toph, however, with feet still firmly planted against the floors of the hot spring, still couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear as Katara began twisting her fingers in the air without comment and created a series of jets to move the hot water about. The earthbender bit her lip and slid closer to her friend, linking her arm around his for good measure.

Seeing this, Sokka sat up. "Are you okay Toph?" he questioned, confusing her as she heard his voice come, not from whoever's arm she currently held, but instead at her left.

"Sparky?" she realized, pulling herself off of him with a sudden jolt.

"Yeah, who were you expecting?"

She didn't reply, instead leaning back against the wall of the hot spring and gripping its stone sides. Neither three said anything more, but they both managed to catch a small blush as it crept up under her bangs.

Sokka frowned and turned away. '_Great,_' he thought '_Toph has a crush on Zuko…_'

Zuko just shrugged and ran a hand though his loose hair. '_Well that was awkward_,' he thought '_I guess she thought I was Sokka…_'

Paying no mind to the situation between the other three, Aang blushed slightly as his hand accidently brushed up against Katara's uncovered thigh. The waterbender just smiled and poked him back playfully, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

"…Well," she finally broke the silence after several minutes of non-verbal flirting, not all of which the other three were completely oblivious to. "I'm going back to bed, it's getting pretty late…do you guys think you'll be out here long?"

Zuko answered in an overly relaxed tone that was extremely un-Zukolike. "I know I might be…if I don't fall asleep in here first." The other two nodded, neither opening their eyes as the firebender unleashed another burst of steam into the water. Aang didn't answer.

Katara smiled. "Okay then. I'll see you all in the morning," she said before waterbending herself dry and wondering back towards the house. Nobody spoke for another three minutes until Aang suddenly sat up.

"I think I'm going to go use the bathroom," the avatar announced, leaping out of the hot spring a bit too eagerly.

Sokka opened his eyes and glared suspiciously at his friend. "Then we should be expecting you back in about five minutes right?" he challenged, staring the airbender down as he bent himself dry.

Aang rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, and then faked a yawn. "Actually, it's getting pretty late. I think I might turn in…" Sokka raised a brow as he trailed off, and the boy began to fidget uneasily. "Or I can just stay here. It's not really a big deal…"

The water tribesman just shrugged and leaned back against the edge of the hot spring. "Do whatever you want…just don't forget that little talk we had…"

Aang stiffened a bit and nodded, gathering up his cloths before heading back towards the house.

Toph smiled. "So what'd you say to him?" she asked, her hands still tightly gripped to the sides of the pool.

"Basically that if he touches my sister before they're married I'm going to castrate him in his sleep."

Zuko and Toph both chuckled. "Nice one…"

He just shrugged. "Hey, I don't want a bunch of cloud babies suddenly wondering around here…"

Zuko opened his eyes and raised a brow. "Cloud babies?"

"Yeah, you know. Air and water make clouds. Just like water and fire make steam and water and earth makes mud."

"What's fire and earth make?" Toph suddenly asked.

The Firelord blushed a bit and Sokka opened his eyes and pouted. "I don't know…a volcano maybe?" he replied, unable to keep annoyance from his tone.

The earthbender just shrugged. "You're a weird kid, you know that snoozles?"

"Who you calling a kid? I'm nineteen now, thank you very much. What're you, like, twelve?"

She slugged him in the arm. "Ha ha," she muttered sarcastically before returning her grip back to the solid earth walls of the hot spring. "Hey sparky, do you mind steaming it up a little? It's getting kinda stale in here."

Sokka wiped at his face. "Are you kidding? It's like a sauna. I was just gonna say he should turn it down a couple notches."

Zuko just shrugged. "I think it's fine…so Toph, how have things been going back home?"

"Miserable," she answered honestly, "I'm just glad I'll finally be old enough to live out on my own for once. I'm gonna get me a place in the lower ring where I don't have all those stuffy rich people breathing down my neck."

"You know, since me and Suki broke up I've been thinking about moving here too," Sokka cut in. "You know, because I'm here enough anyway with all these stupid meetings and everything…"

"Maybe you two should get a place together," the Firelord mused, at which the other two quickly looked away.

"Me and meathead?" Toph snorted, sinking a little lower into the water. "We'd kill each other!"

Sokka tried to smile. "Yeah…I'd probably be buried alive by the end of the week." They both gave an uneasy chuckle at which Zuko just smiled.

"Oh I don't think it would be so bad…"

The conversation faded at that and instead there stretched a long period of relaxed silence. Toph, still refusing to let go the edges, tried to position herself where her arms would be less tired, but failed. Instead, she finally sighed and released her grip, letting her arms slink back under the surface of the pool. Another second passed before Zuko steamed up the hot spring a little more.

Finally, after several minutes of the same routine, the Firelord stretched his limbs and started to rise. "I think I'm gonna head back in. You two want me to start a fire under this thing so you can stay out a little longer?"

Sokka blinked. "You can do that?"

"Yeah," he replied, stepping out of the spring and leaning down to light a small batch of kindling already set up below.

"Well jeez, sparky, why didn't you just tell us that in the first place? Then it could've been just me and snoozles."

Zuko raised a brow. "Did you _want_ it to be just you and Sokka?" he asked with a smirk.

Toph suddenly went red. "No," she said quickly, slinking even lower into the water as the firebender started to get up to leave. Sokka just shrugged and leaned back against the side of the hot spring.

Zuko, rolling his eyes as Toph turned back around, suddenly stomped his foot against the side of the spring. Gasping from the vibrations of his move, she suddenly clamped around Sokka's arm tightly, who couldn't help but smile a little as she clung desperately to him.

"You two don't stay up all night. We still have the rest of that meeting to attend in the morning," he called back as he left, grinning at his own genius.

Ignoring him, Toph buried her head deeper into Sokka's shoulder until the echoing of Zuko's kick finally came to a halt and all vibrations stopped. He just patted her head and sighed contently as the water continued at a steady temperature all around them.

"I…uh…" she tried to recover, tilting her head upwards so that he could see her cheeks turn a deep pink.

"It's okay. I don't mind it…"He blushed a shade darker as he suddenly became all too aware of her nearly-naked torso pressed against him. "But you might want to readjust your bindings…"

* * *

**Oh those kids...**

**Please read and review!**


	17. 30 Female

**We're back! Sorry for the wait, but writers block sucks. This is the sequel to that story Costume we did a while back. Its got some humor, plus some good-ol female bonding; but don't let us spoil the story for you. Just enjoy.**

**By the way, thank you all for all the reviews and favorites we've been getting. We really don't deserve it. You guys are the best! Really, if we could bake you all cookies and throw them into the computer and each of you could have one, we would. But alas, cookies can not be sent though email yet...sigh...**

**Disclaimer monster says that neither RubyT nor Marla own Aang, Katara, Toph, Zuko, Mai, or anybody else in the avatar universe.**

**...wait, doesn't RubyT own Sokka?**

**No. I had to give him back. -grumble grumble-**

**Damn.**

* * *

"Hey baby…" a man slurred from beneath a crudely painted silver and blue mask.

Mai cocked a brow, lowering her own black, lace masquerade mask. "Can I help you, Sokka?" she asked with her signature lack of emotion.

The boy hiccupped. From somewhere in the distance she could catch sight of Toph in a giggling fit at bar. "Its more like how _I _could help _you_," he said, clearly drunk, while wiggling his eyebrows.

Mai rolled her eyes and walked away without comment.

Nearly crying from laughter, Toph shoved another drink into her friend's hand as he slunk back into his seat at the bar. "You lose again, snoozles!" she gloated, wiping at her eyes. "Drink up!"

Without hesitation, Sokka poured the sake down his throat in a single gulp and smiled. "I-I just wanted another drink…" he managed.

Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Toph felt around the room for another target. She had already got him to hit on pretty much every girl and their mother (not an expression; just ask Mai's mother…), but now she needed someone else. Luckily, Sokka was too wasted at this point to think logically about anything; leaving endless possibilities for a comedic result.

"How about her?" she pointed to a young girl in a mask just as crudely painted as his. Sokka reached up and rubbed his red cheek, already swelling from the number of failed attempts behind them.

He beamed. "Too easy! Just watch and learn my little _Toph_ee drop." (A/n: like toffee, get it?)

"Don't call me that."

And with a helpful shove from his friend, Sokka stumbled across the ballroom and towards his own sister. Toph released her manic, evil laughter as soon as he was out of earshot, earning her a few strange looks from the other patrons at the bar.

"Hey sweetie," he managed, the _very familiar_ stranger turning away from her _very familiar _date. "Are you a fire bender? Because you are _smoking_."

Katara and Aang both froze, Ty-Lee nearby giving the three of them a disgusted look. "Sokka, what the hell are you doing?"

"Anything you want tonight, baby," he slurred. Then, suddenly his grin faded, replaced by an expression of pure horror as he pulled off his mask and kneeled down.

The music stopped and everyone within a ten foot radiance jumped back as Sokka retched onto the ballroom floor. "Eww!" Ty-lee exclaimed with several other women. Zuko, who had already began to approach his drunken guest with murder on his mind, stopped short, his face reddening from a mixture of fury and embarrassment as he turned back to gather a servant to clean the mess.

Finally after evacuating the contents of his stomach, the water tribesman looked up to face the silent crowd, his sister's death-like scowl standing out more than any other. The only sound in the grand ballroom was that of Toph's hyena-like cackle as she fell to the floor with uncontrollable laughter, tears forming in her eyes.

He shrunk under their glares. "Katara…I …" but he cut himself off with another loud heave and the crowd watched in horror as his regurgitated breakfast tumbled out onto the dance floor to join his lunch and dinner.

Katara went red underneath her mask as she waited for her brother to catch his breath. "Get. Up. Sokka." she muttered from between clenched teeth. He obliged, staggering to his feet as he wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand.

Partly humiliated and thoroughly confused, Sokka allowed his sister to drag him out of the ballroom and towards the main hall of the palace. Somewhere near the bar, Katara stopped and snatched a hysterical Toph by the wrist. Luckily, she was far to busy laughing to object as the waterbender led the two of them out as quickly as possible.

"What the hell Sokka!" she roared, yanking off her mask and tossing it aside. Her brother simply slumped to the floor and held his stomach, appearing as if he might vomit again at any moment. Toph stood at his side, a giggle popping up every now and then as Katara began to tear into them.

Sokka picked up his head. "I'm sorry…I thought you were a girl…"

His sister crossed her arms. "Why is he so drunk?" she demanded of the other girl, who had finally managed to abandon her giggling.

She shrugged. "Relax Sugarqueen, it's a party," Toph waved it off, still smiling as she listened to her inebriated friend mumble something incomprehensible on the ground.

"He ruined the party! Toph, is this your fault?"

The earthbender tilted up her head. "Who, me?" she asked innocently, dropping the amused smirk from her face and attempted to look the picture of innocence. Katara's frown deepened, showing she was in no mood for jokes. The younger girl smirked again. "Its not like I poured them down his throat…"

Katara growled as Aang suddenly reemerged from the party and joined her side. "I can't believe you guys did this to Zuko and Mai! They probably spent weeks getting this thing together!" she berated, to which Toph just shrugged and leaned back against the wall.

Sokka suddenly lifted his head again, a humorous attempt at a scowl across his face. "You know Katana…I don't approve of your dress; it's too low."

Aang raised a brow. "Katana?"

"Yeah," he continued, gripping onto the wall behind him to help pull himself up. "I mean, there are a lot of weird guys at this party and they might try to hit on you or something." Sokka, now off the ground, wrapped an arm around her shoulder and scrunched his face at nothing in particular.

"To late…" Toph chuckled, at which both siblings shot her a death-glare.

Pushing her brother off and letting him once again collapse to the floor, Katara rolled her eyes. "Even wasted out of your mind, you're still lecturing me about my cloths…"

"You lettuce me about everything…" he mumbled back, this time content to lay sprawled on the ground.

"Lettuce?" Aang wondered, once again being the only one to comment on Sokka's drunken speech patterns.

The water tribesman rubbed at his abused cheek, raw from the number of slaps he had received from the night's multiple targets. "You know…you should dress more like Toph. Then maybe Aang would leave you alone." He turned his head, glared and pointed clumsily at the avatar. "Pervert!"

His sister and her boyfriend simultaneously turned red. "Leave him alone Sokka," she demanded sternly, then added, "as if your in any condition to judge."

He just shrugged and instead grabbed onto the wall, attempting to force his legs to cooperate enough to hoist himself up again. Ignoring her, he continued to drone on. "Then again, Toph always looks like a boy to me…"

Without warning, the earthbender felt her face glow red and she gritted her teeth. Katara glared at him, but before she could manage a response, one of Toph's small but powerful fists shot out and collided with the side of her brother's face; knocking him back down to the ground with a tiny yelp. Sokka thudded to the floor flat on his back, while his attacker turned quickly on her heel and began stomping back into the ballroom.

Aang and Katara blinked simultaneously, and then looked over to one another. Finally the waterbender rolled her eyes and motioned for him to help her pull her, now unconscious, brother up off the floor and drag him somewhere more decent.

* * *

Zuko scanned the ballroom carefully, searching for his prey from beneath the holes of his mask. His wife sighed. "Just ignore it. We can kill him in the morning," she said plainly, pulling away her own mask as she talked.

Suddenly his good eye widened as the Firelord caught a glimpse of green fabric flutter by somewhere in the crowd. "I'll be right back," he muttered, ignoring Mai as she simply rolled her eyes and scoffed.

Zuko tore though the crowd as fast as he could, dodging guest after guest as he neared his target. Somewhere near the center of the ballroom, he managed to finally catch her by her shoulder and pull the tiny earthbender around to face him. "Toph…" he started, suddenly retracting his hand upon catching the look of frustration and anger on her face.

"Yeah?" she stopped, silently fuming.

"Have you seen Sokka anywhere?"

The girl scoffed and turned herself back around, once again marching angrily towards the balcony. "Your too late Sparky, I already nailed him in the face. You can have him in the morning."

The Firelord stopped. "Huh?" he blurted stupidly before rushing to catch up with his friend just as she exited the palace ballroom and stepped out onto the balcony.

She leaned over the railing and sighed, closing her eyes against the night breeze. "What do you want?" Toph asked bluntly as she felt him join her at her side without speaking.

"Are you okay?" he asked, abandoning his own anger at Sokka for the time being.

She pouted. "Just peachy…" she murmured, crossing her arms while continuing to face the night sky. Above them, a full moon hung low overhead, allowing Zuko to fully analyze her expression.

He raised a brow. "Did you really punch him in the face?" the firebender asked, unable to conceal the smirk across his lips.

"Yep."

His smile faded with the bluntness of her answer. Obviously something was wrong. "Call me crazy, but by the way you were laughing I'd guess this whole mess was your doing."

"You'd guess right," she replied, just as quick and emotionless as before.

The Firelord scratched at his chin. "Then why'd you hit him?"

"Because he's an idiot. Don't act like you weren't about to do the same thing. I know how you get about Mai."

He frowned. "How did you know about that?"

She opened her eyes and he managed to catch a tiny bit of liquid streaming silently down her face. "Because I told him to. We were playing a game."

Zuko groaned. "I should've known. I can't leave you two alone for two seconds, can I?" A small smile teased the corner of her lips, but instead she turned her head, wiping at her face with the sleeve of her dress. He crossed his arms and stepped closer, his expression softening. "Toph…why are you crying?"

She frowned. "I'm not crying," the girl protested, reaching up to tug absentmindedly at her braid.

Suddenly her friend straightened. "Was it Sokka?" he asked, quickly changing into defensive mode. "If he did anything…"

"No," she said softly, letting another tear stream down her cheek while silently cursing her own teenage hormones. "He's just…he's just an ass okay? All night I try hanging out with him and having a good time and he…oh, just forget it…" Zuko said nothing, instead walking over to lean against the railing at her side and waiting for her to continue. Toph sniffed. "I haven't seen him in so long…I thought things would be different now. But he still thinks of me as some silly, little brother."

He was silent for a moment. "You know Toph; I don't think daring him to hit on random girls was the best idea if you wanted to get his attention."

She sighed. "I know…but you should've heard him Zuko…he said 'if you were a little older'. What did he mean by that?" The earthbender once again wiped at the tears on her cheek before answering her own question. "I'll tell you what it means. It means I could leave home, become captain of police, change my hair, wear make-up, and put on a fancy dress, but I'm still just a little kid…and apparently I'm a boy."

Suddenly Toph stiffened. Zuko, catching her change in demeanor, was about to ask her what was wrong when from behind a smooth voice interrupted. "Zuko, your waterbending friend says her brother has regained consciousness if you want to go kill him now," Mai droned.

The Firelord turned to face her, about to protest when suddenly he caught the look of mild interest on his wife's face. She didn't need to say anything as her husband nodded and patted Toph on the shoulder before leaving the two alone on the balcony and returning to the party.

With a yawn, Mai joined the earthbender over by the railing. "Boy troubles?" she asked casually.

Toph nodded. "Yeah…" she replied softly, closing her eyes as another midnight breeze brushed the bangs out of her face for her and tousled her braid.

The older girl said nothing for a while, instead looking out across the view of the Firenation harbor as the moon shone bright against the ocean, illuminating the waves below. "I don't usually comfort people," she began, merely stating a fact, "but I do know what it's like when boys don't notice you."

Toph looked up, waiting for Mai to continue. The Firelady sighed. "When we were kids, I don't even think Zuko knew my name. I was just that quiet girl that played with knives and did everything his little sister told her to." The corners of her mouth twitched a bit. "I liked him though. I liked him a lot."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Mai glanced over at her companion, the make-up now smeared all across her cheeks. "You can't just act like you don't care all the time…believe me, I understand what its like to want to protect yourself from getting hurt; I get that. But boys are stupid. If you don't tell them yourself, you'll always just be that creepy kid in the corner."

Toph nodded. "Or that fun, little brother…"

Mai almost smiled. "Exactly. You can't just look like a girl to them, because believe it or not, they're even blinder then you are. No offense." The younger girl waved it off, allowing her new friend to continue. "You have to tell them. Shove it in their faces until they finally notice you. I pushed Zuko into a fountain and nearly had a strange girl impale him to death, but you do whatever works for you."

Toph smiled. "Thanks Mai," she said softly, pulling herself off the railing as the Firelady did the same. "You're not going to stab me if I hug you, are you?"

This time, the older girl actually did smile. "No. With Ty-Lee as your friend its something you have to get used to. But I'd rather you didn't punch me…"

The earthbender immediately wrapped her arms around her new friend, resting her head on her shoulder for a moment before pulling away and officially wiping away the remainder of any salty residue on her cheek.

"You lost your mask," Mai observed. "Take mine. That way nobody will know that you've been crying," she said blankly, handing over her black, lace masquerade mask and walking back into that party before Toph could even thank her.

The earthbender smiled. "Who knew creepy knife girl could be nice?" she muttered, raising the mask up to her face before exiting the balcony and following Mai back into the ballroom.

* * *

**Yes, who knew?**

**We just always like the idea of little kid crushes growing into something more. (obviously, just look at the ships we support. Kataang, Tokka, Maiko? That just screams friends becoming lovers).**

**We realize Sokka can seem like kind of an ass sometimes (to quote many of our storys) but don't worry. We are never hating on Sokka! We's loves that guy! He's just a little oblivous sometimes (try all the time...). Plus people tend not to say the nicest things when they're drunk...**


	18. 54 Unwritten

**Another addition to costume and female! ...Marla is going to kill me for all this fluff...**

**Disclaimer monster is now selling T-Shirts to anyone thats intrested. Please call 1-800-WE-DO-NOT-OWN-AVATAR if you would like to buy one...its a foreign number...**

* * *

"Hey waterboy! Mail for you."

Sokka sat up from his bed just in time for a stack of letters to hit him right across his face. "Thanks," he muttered dryly, bending down to scoop them up as they tumbled to the floor.

The older boy just shrugged. "Whatever. I'm going to visit Kaya for a while so try not to flood the place while I'm gone," Yuan announced while standing in the doorway, watching as his roommate reached under his bed for another stray envelope.

The water tribesman straightened and turned to look at him. "I've already told you, I'm not a waterbender."

"Like it matters. Don't wait up, I'll be back late." The door slammed shut and Sokka breathed a sigh of relief; happy to be alone with his mail.

It was only two months in and he already had it with life at the university. In retrospect, he wasn't even sure why he even applied in the first place. True, he was studying political science, something that would be of great help when it would be time for him to become chief of the, ever expanding, Southern Watertribe. But did he really need to be there? Nobody else in his family had ever been to college, so why should he?

He sighed. The answer to that was simple. Nobody else had ever had the opportunity to go to college; especially one as prestigious as Ba Sing Se University. Not to mention with the new open policies between nations that had been implemented since the war, a little knowledge about the political structures of the other nations could only help. After all, it _was_ his idea.

Without further hesitation, Sokka ripped open the first letter with his teeth. A small smile grew as he recognized his sister's handwriting, occasionally intermixed with Aang's and sometimes even his dad's as he continued reading. It was the usual, "_I miss you. Everything is fine here. How are you? Funny stories, important update_, so on and so forth…" but it was nice to hear from them all.

The second letter was far less personal. It was addressed from the Earth King, announcing yet another royal ball he was invited to. Sokka read two lines before crunching it up and tossing it aside. It was nice to feel wanted, but the last thing he wanted to do was waste time awkwardly shuffling around a room full of nobles. In retrospect, he should probably attend at least one party before the year's end, as a thank you for King Kuei pulling some stings and getting him into a university he otherwise couldn't afford, but Sokka would cross that bridge when he came to it.

After that was a message from Ty-Lee, informing him on the Kyoshi warriors' whereabouts as they trekked somewhere amongst the Earth Kingdom wilderness. These days, her letters no longer had to do with spying on Suki, and usually his ex girlfriend actually had a hand in writing them anyway. Mostly they were just to keep tabs on the girls. After all, somebody had too.

Then finally Sokka came to his last and final letter, a smile spreading from cheek to cheek as he tore open the green envelope and ripped out its contents. It was written across the official stationary of the Omashu royal police force. It was from Toph.

There, written in a stranger's handwriting, were sprawled the words of the tough, little earthbender he knew and loved.

"Hey snoozles, how you been?" the message opened with, earning a small chuckle from the boy as he imagined some servant attempting to figure out how to properly spell 'snoozles'.

He hadn't seen Toph since the morning after Zuko's costume party back in the Firenation.

* * *

Sokka had awoken with a hangover to end all hangovers. His head pounded in perfect rhythm, as he peeled back his sore eyes and gazed about the room. Across his cheek and over most of his left eye, the skin was tender and swollen.

"What happened last night?" he muttered, sitting up in his guest bedroom. Immediately he regretted it, flopping over the side of the bed as his stomach muscles clenched tight, threatening to vomit.

"I don't think Sparky would like it if you barfed in here," a voice interrupted his misery.

He lifted his head and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Toph? What happened last night?"

The girl entered from the doorway and stood beside where he sat. It must've been early morning, because she still wore her nightgown; long and dark green to contrast against her pale skin. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail; however her bangs, ever persistent, still managed to flop into her face and obscure her appearance.

She leaned over the bed and tapped his face without speaking, an evil smirk forming as he winced from her touch. He didn't need to look to know it was a bruise. "Where should I start?" Toph asked, pulling her hand away slowly after investigating her handiwork.

"Right after I was slapped by some girl in a fancy headdress," Sokka recalled, pressing a hand to his forehead as if that could stop the pounding.

"You mean Star?" the earthbender smiled wider. "Yeah, I knew she'd reject you. She's kind of stuck up. Why Sparky even let her into the party, I'll never know."

He frowned. "Thanks…so what happened after that?"

Toph thought for a moment. "Hmm…after that I got you to hit on a few more noble girls, four of Ty-Lee's sisters, Mai's mother…"

"Mai's _mother_?"

The evil grin creped wider across her cheeks. "Yeah, and Mai too. By the way, I think Zuko's looking for you."

He scowled. "I hate you…"

The girl just shrugged. "Then you called your sister hot and threw up all over the floor. It was pretty funny."

His jaw dropped. "I called Katara hot? What the hell were you feeding me!"

"Relax, she had a mask on. I'm sure only a couple of people will remember it forever…"

Sokka groaned and flopped back onto the bed, covering his aching head with a pillow. Meanwhile, Toph just giggled at her friend's expense and sat down next to him, stretching her arms up over her head and yawning. After a minute, he pulled the pillow from his face and sat up again. "So was it her or Zuko that gave me this black eye?"

The smile faded from her lips and she immediately jumped off the bed. "Oh that was me. You said something dumb so I socked you in the face. No big deal."

He looked up. "You? But this was all your fault!"

Toph crossed her arms. "Really?" she asked, "you're going to blame this on me?"

"Well you were the only sober one between us…" he started. She raised a brow and he sighed. "No, I guess not. But could you tell me what I said? That way I'll know if I was actually being a jerk, or if you're just insane."

The girl turned her head. "You said I looked like a boy," she said casually, shrugging it off as if it was nothing.

He appeared puzzled. "Really? I mean yeah, sometimes when we were kids it was hard to tell the difference, but obviously your not a boy."

"Thanks…" she muttered dryly, turning as if to head for the door.

"_Boys are stupid. You can't just act like you don't care all the time…"_

Toph stopped, biting her lip as she turned back around.

"_You have to tell them. Shove it into their faces until they finally notice you…"_

Sokka jumped out of bed despite the instant protests that screamed from his aching body. "No, wait! That didn't come out right…" he tried to amend, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"_I pushed Zuko into a fountain and nearly had a strange girl impale him to death, but you do whatever works for you…"_

"I mean, you've grown up a lot since I've last seen you. Of course, you were never really a boy, but…ugh…I mean…"

With a breath for confidence, Toph suddenly reached over and yanked his face over to meet hers. He gasped as she pressed her lips firmly, accidently missing his lips and planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sorry!" she immediately blurted out, her cheeks burning red as she let him go. The girl bit her lip and shyly turned away.

Sokka blinked, his hand reaching up to touch where she had just kissed him. "Uh…" he said stupidly, flabbergasted by what just happened. "Did you just try to kiss me?"

Her face was now bright pink as she started to back out of the room. "I'm sorry, it was an accident!"

Coming to his senses, he reached out to grab her arm, but instead missed as she retreated into the hall and dashed in the other direction. "Wait!" Sokka called after her, but instead tripped and landed on his already abused face. Rising to his feet, he brushed the hair from his eyes and immediately ran out after her, only to be stopped by a firm hand gripping his shoulder.

"Good morning," he head his sister say, not an ounce of kindness in her voice. The boy gulped, turning to face Zuko and Katara with simultaneous scowls on their faces.

(A/N: Hell hath no fury like a Katara scorned!)

* * *

It was hours before he was finally released from their evil clutches. By that time, Toph was long gone; having already escaped on the first ship headed for Omashu. So he did the next best thing; he wrote her a letter.

The first draft was a thing of beauty. It managed to capture all of his wit and humor, yet still seem genuine. His handwriting had gotten much better over the years, and even he had to admit the message was impressive. Only minutes later, reviewing the letter he had slaved over, did he remember that anything he sent wouldn't actually be read by Toph.

He ripped it up in a second.

It was too personal for a stranger to read aloud. He couldn't just ignore what had happened the last time he saw her, but Sokka didn't want to embarrass his friend. What if it _was_ just an accident? Though still a teenager, Toph had an adult life now, with a reputation and everything. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass her.

The second letter he wrote was terrible. It only took him a quick skimming over to know that it was unacceptable to send out. This time it was too formal. More than anything, Sokka knew that the girl _hated_ formal. So he tossed that copy into the fireplace.

For the longest time after that, he just sat at his writing desk and buried his face onto the massive stack of blank papers in front of him. He groaned in frustration, but otherwise was completely still.

"What are you doing?" the Firelord entered, curious of his friend's behavior.

Sokka groaned again, his voice muffled against the oak wood. "I'm trying to send a letter to Toph, but no matter what I say somebody else is going to read it!"

Zuko raised a brow. "Why can't somebody else read it?"

"Because they just can't okay?" he raised his head and stared back at the firebender. "Something happened before she left and I need to ask her about it."

His eyes narrowed. "What did you do to her? I know you made her cry at the party, but I just thought that was because you were a drunken idiot," he scolded, stepping into 'older brother mode'.

Sokka sat up. "I made her cry? Now I really need to talk to her!"

Zuko crossed his arms. "Apparently. Sokka if you're so worried about other people reading your letters, why don't you just send her a brail one?"

"Toph knows brail? I didn't know that. Do you have a brail to English dictionary?"

Only after he sent out the letter, a copy of his original masterpiece, did he find out that Toph, as a matter of fact, could _not_ read brail. Weeks later he received his own message back with a letter of her own. In a manner so like her, it had mocked him cruelly for this lack of knowledge, and then gone on as if nothing had ever happened between them at all.

Can't blame a guy for trying…

* * *

Sokka sighed after finishing her letter. It was great to hear from her, but just once he would've liked to actually _hear_ from her. After all, everything she said had to be written down by some random stranger and everything he wrote was going to be read aloud. It was like being in a crowded room with somebody you desperately wanted to get alone.

Tossing aside the friendly message, he thought about the masquerade ball. Was his opinion really enough to make Toph cry? The idea was somehow both flattering and guilt-ridden. Since when did she care what he thought anyway? This was _Toph_ he was talking about! And what was that kiss? Toph didn't kiss boys; she didn't even dance with boys. Nothing added up. He suddenly felt like he had been missing out on a huge chunk of a puzzle.

Either way, he needed to straighten things out.

"Hey water peasant!" an unsavory voice snapped Sokka out of his thoughts as his roommate came crashing back in. "Have you seen my coat? It's freezing out there."

He scowled. "I'll have you know that I'm pretty much considered a prince back home."

"Whatever. Just toss me that coat," he shrugged, crossing the room as Sokka sat himself down onto the bed, clearly not about to get up to help. The Earthkingdom boy tossed aside a few belongings before snatching up his coat, a small green object fluttering down to the floor as he did. Catching his attention, he snatched it off the ground as well and read its contents in a hurry. "What's this?"

Sokka sat up. "That's mine," he protested, "give it back."

The older boy smirked. "It's from a girl," he observed, "is she hot?"

"Hand it over!"

"That's a yes…and it sounds like she digs you too," he glanced over at the warrior still sitting on the bed. "She must be blind or something…"

The water tribesman gritted his teeth, before suddenly appearing surprised. "You think she likes me? But it's completely casual."

His roommate cocked a brow. "You really don't know anything about girls at all do you? Then again, what would I expect from somebody that's been living in an ice cube most of his life?" He stepped closer, ignoring Sokka as he was about to protest. "You gotta learn to read beyond the lines. Girls never say just what their thinking."

Still scowling, Sokka snatched the letter from his grip. "You sure about this?" he asked hesitantly, looking over the message one last time. "That seems weird you can pick all that up in just a few seconds."

The older boy laughed as he walked over and pried open the door. "You think way too much. Just trust me." And with that, he closed the door and stalked back down the hall.

Sokka smiled to himself. Of course she liked him. If an idiot like Yuan could see that, why couldn't he?

"She's gonna kill me for this…" he mumbled, pulling out a blank scroll and a set of ink pens. But still, the boy couldn't help but maintain that stupid grin on his face. He was going to write a letter, and this time he was going to write it right. If he embarrasses her, he'll just let Toph punch him in the face next time he saw her and call it even.

Some things couldn't be left unsaid…or unwritten for that matter.

When he finished, he didn't bother to reread it. Instead, Sokka just leapt from his writing desk, letter in hand, and snatched his coat off the floor. A small, crumpled piece of paper tumbled after it and fell to the floor demanding his attention. He smiled as he picked it up, unwrinkled the mess, and tucked it into the envelope as well.

* * *

"Sokka!" an angry, female voice called out over the crowd.

He looked up from playing with the hem of his formal robes, ignoring the Earth King's noble guests as they shuffled past.

Toph, wearing a deep, green gown but still severally underdressed when compared to the other guests, came stomping towards him. Without mercy, he watched as she pushed aside the other attendees and stalked over to her old friend.

"Oh hey Toph, did you get my letter?"

She scowled. "Damn it, Sokka! Why are you such a _girl?_" He couldn't help but smirk as she jabbed him harshly in the shoulder. "Do you know who reads my mail for me?"

"No."

"The first person I find! Now the whole force is making fun of me for having a girly boyfriend!"

Sokka just shrugged. "I can't help it if I'm a poet at heart."

She slugged him again in the arm, but this time the scowl faded from her face. Toph smiled and she grew quiet for a second. "…so did you really mean what you said?" she asked softly, the usual brashness now completely gone from her tone.

"Yeah."

The girl tilted up her face so he could see her better. The tiniest hint of a blush was starting to spread across her cheeks. Without further encouragement, Sokka leaned down and kissed her lips, inwardly smiling as she pushed to deepen it, moments later.

When they parted, she jabbed him again in the exact same spot, making him wince with pain; but the girl had the possibly the widest grin he had ever seen someone possessing. "I guess it's a good thing I'm such a _boy_ then. Someone needs to balance out your massive feminine side. I think Ty-Lee could've written a manlier letter!"

He rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Now come on, we'll miss the party. They stop serving drinks at midnight!"

Toph grinned as he snatched her hand and lead them though the massive crowd; the both of them running and pushing past the adults like a couple of reckless children. "Aye, aye captain!" she cheered, paying no mind as she accidently stepped on another lady's foot.

* * *

**Oh Sokka. You think he would've learned his lesson with alcohal from the last party... I can't imagnine how that night ended, Lol. ****And yes, he is a poet. I guess some people just don't appreciate that.**

**Again, sorry about all the fluff. I'm surprised Marla hasn't killed me yet...**


	19. 81 Who

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer monster is tired. No, joke tonight... They don't own ATLA**

* * *

Toph scrunched the grass between her toes and sighed contently. After hours in the cold northern landscape of ice and snow, she was elated to just be able to lie back and enjoy the warmth of the solid ground. She just wished her friend would stop staring at that stupid pond long enough to go get them something to eat like he'd promised.

"Hey meathead!" she called, grabbing at her stomach as it started to growl impatiently. "Why don't you make yourself useful and actually catch us something for once?"

Sokka just sighed, still not taking his eyes off the two fish dancing in the pond below. "I'm not fishing in here…" he said softly, a hint of sadness in his tone.

The earthbender groaned and flipped onto her side, blowing the bangs out of her face as she tilted up her head. "Why not? I'm _starving_!" she whined. "There's fish in that pond aren't there?"

Carefully, Sokka reached out a hand and touched the surface of the pond with just the tip of his index finger. He pulled away slowly and watched as a small ring rippled from where he withdrew. Both fish continued to circle each other without interruption.

"Yeah…" he answered.

Oblivious to her friend's mood, Toph replied sharply. "Well it's not like their going to just waltz out and hop into a frying pan for us. Quit being lazy and go get your fishing pole!"

He finally looked away from the pond and gazed over at his friend disapprovingly. "Toph, some fish you eat and some you just don't okay? If you're so hungry why don't you just go back to the village?"

"Because it's freezing out there. I don't know why it's so warm, but I'm not leaving this spot until the ship comes to pick us up at the end of the week," she stated stubbornly, rolling onto her back as she started to pick her own nose. "Besides, what'll one little fish hurt? It's not like it'll be the end of the world or anything."

Sokka rubbed his face and sighed, defiantly regretting ever bringing the girl up here. "Toph, I think you'd better leave…"

She sat up in a flash. "What's that supposed to mean?" the girl challenged. He just shrugged, clearly not in the mood to start a fight. "What's your problem, ponytail? You've been moody ever since we got here."

He didn't answer, which only infuriated her further. "Fine then, don't answer me! Have fun with-"

"Would you just shut up!" he suddenly snapped. "I took you here because you were complaining that you couldn't see anything! You should consider yourself lucky to even be allowed here! Now would you quit your whining and leave me alone for _ten minutes_?"

Taken aback by his outburst, Toph immediately clamped shut. There was a sullen silence as he continued to gaze upon the koi pond with intense concentration. The girl hugged her knees to her chest and bit her lip for a moment, before finally rising from the ground and into a corner to practice earthbending in solitude.

Neither spoke as she began to take out her sudden frustration out upon the ground in the distance; bending a series of rocks from the earth and forcing them to collide fiercely against one another. In his mind, Sokka knew he should've explained himself; but there, sitting quietly in the spirit oasis right in front of _her_, he just couldn't bring himself to start. Instead, he just touched the surface of the pond again and sighed; deliberately ignoring the crashing sounds in the distance behind him.

'Stupid jerk,' Toph ranted on in her mind, tossing another pair of stones into one another and watching them explode. 'I didn't even want to come to the North Pole! Why'd he invite me if he was just going to be an asshole the whole time?' With her toes, she felt as he touched the surface of the pond again and sighed. A scowl crossed her face as she angrily bent another small bolder from the ground and tossed it in his direction.

There, it landed into the koi pond and narrowly avoided hitting the fish, but the resulting splash soaked Sokka to the bone. His eyes bugled wide as he waited for the waters to settle, and then sighed in relief when he saw both koi fish continue to swim without harm.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" the boy screamed, jumping up and turning towards her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I almost hurt your little friends?" she replied bitterly, crossing her arms as he began to approach her.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU COULD'VE DONE?" Sokka shouted, his face glowing red from pure rage. Toph just rolled her eyes, and he stopped and balled his hands into fists at his sides. "GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

"Fine!" she spat, snatching her coat and boots off the ground and stomping towards the exit. Outside, Toph shivered and bundled herself quickly against the cold, silently cursing herself as she blindly made her way though the ice-sculpted city streets.

Sokka buried his face in his hands and moaned. "Why did I ask her to come?" he said aloud, walking back towards the koi pond as he did. "I knew I should've just come by myself!"

* * *

Hours later, Toph groaned as she found herself at another dead end. She pounded her fists against the wall of ice and roared again in frustration before sliding helplessly to the floor. Somewhere behind her, she could hear a stray polar bear-dog yelp in the distance, but otherwise the streets were completely bare.

This told her two things. One was that it had grown dark sometime in the past few hours and that everybody had already secured their doors and windows against the upcoming winter night, and two was that she was completely and utterly lost.

In desperation, Toph called out for her friend, but knew it was hopeless. Even if Sokka was around looking for her, the city was so big she knew he'd never find her by morning. With a discouraging sigh, the girl scurried back into the corner of the alleyway and rolled up into a ball; shivering as the temperature dropped to accommodate for the winter night.

* * *

"Hey Hiryu, have you seen Toph anywhere?"

The northern native shook his head as Sokka entered the inn and approached him at the counter. "No, I haven't seen her since you both left this morning. Why?"

Sokka bit his lip in nervous gesture. "We had an argument earlier and she stormed off. Can you help me find her? She can't see so she must've gotten lost."

Hiryu nodded. "I'll help get a search party together so we can find Lady Toph. You go ahead and we'll catch up."

Without wasting another second, Sokka burst back outside and squinted in the darkness. 'She'll be alright,' he told himself, shivering as a flake of white powder landed on his nose. 'She's a tough kid, she can handle herself…'

But as he wondered down the city streets calling her name into the night, he couldn't be sure. Sokka glanced up at the moon and scratched absentmindedly at the stubble on his cheek. Yue said nothing, but only continued to blink in and out of sight as a dark cloud rumbled past overhead.

"Don't worry Toph, I'm coming," he said aloud, gripping the lining of his coat tighter as he marched on. Above, the sky suddenly brightened as the cloud disappeared from view, no longer obscuring the light of the moon. Sokka smiled with the minor encouragement and quickly corrected himself, "no. _We're_ coming."

* * *

Somewhere back in the alleyway of the city where Toph currently lay, she squeezed herself tighter as she felt the dramatic decrease in temperature. Across her cheek, two fat snowflakes had landed and melted away to leave streaks of freezing cold water that she quickly scrubbed off. She bit her lip as another chill crept its way past her parka and nearly took her breath away.

"S-Sokka," she mumbled aloud. "If I d-don't fr-freeze to death f-first, I-I am going t-to k-kill you…"

Suddenly the sounds of howling came clear across the horizon, much closer than the girl was comfortable with. Toph's eyes grew wider at the sound and she shivered again, less from the cold and more in fear. Maybe Sokka had just been trying to scare her with his stories about starving wolves entering the villages during wintertime famines, but she wasn't exactly eager to find out.

"Never mind, j-just hurry…"

* * *

"Toph!" he called out into the night air, watching as his breath curled out in front of him like smoke.

Silence.

"Toph, can you hear me?" Sokka tried again, stumbling through another dead-end alleyway, only to find it completely empty.

Somewhere a howl cut through the night air and the boy stopped. He glanced over to see the boarded up windows and doors and swallowed. "It's just for the cold…" he muttered; reassuring himself as the wolves' howl came to an end. "This isn't the _South_ Pole. This is the _North_ Pole. They don't have those kinds of problems here…"

"She's over here!" somebody shouted suddenly. In a flash, Sokka turned towards the sound and sprinted over to where Hiryu was crouched over in another dead-end alleyway across from his.

Without speaking, the innkeeper scooted aside for Sokka to take his place. There, in the corner of the alleyway, sat his friend. The southern tribesman shivered as he brushed aside her hood to reveal a pair of trembling, blue lips. Her blind eyes were open wide as she whispered out his name in the form of a question. "…S-Sokka? Is-s that y-you?"

Brushing aside a stray hair from her face, he smiled and held her tight in his arms. "It's okay…" he muttered and she relaxed upon recognizing his voice. "Come on guys, lets get her inside," he told the others, picking up her petite body and making his way back towards the inn.

* * *

The girl sighed contently as Hiryu brought the pair a boiling pot of tea and poured it into their cups. "Thanks," they both murmured, at which the inn-keeper just smiled and walked on.

They currently sat in her room; Toph lying in bed as merely a face poking out of an ocean of blankets, while Sokka sat at her side in a nearby chair. She took a generous sip and hiccupped slightly, at which her friend just smiled.

"Toph, I'm so sorry I let you wonder off on your own. I shouldn't have just kicked you out like that."

She frowned. "No, you shouldn't have."

He took a sip of his own tea, and then cringed. It was much too bitter for his taste, but now wasn't the time to complain. "So…yeah…"

Toph slammed her cup down on the table. "I'm not going to apologize, Sokka. _You_ were the one that invited _me_ to this hell-hole. I told you something like this would happen! Newsflash genius: _I'm blind_!"

The watertribe boy slumped in his seat. "…I invited you because I didn't think I could handle going alone…" he said softly.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed and looked out the window. Just outside, Yue sat watching them both closely, shining into the room and lightening them with her pale glow. "Something happened here a long time ago to someone I cared about…"

Ruining the moment in a very Toph-like manner, the girl scoffed. "Yeah, and something almost happened to someone you cared about tonight too."

Sokka closed his eyes, and to her surprise, didn't bother denying it. "Your right…your absolutely right…It was just…I was so mad at you for what you did to the pond and the way you were acting. That's no excuse for me kicking you out, but you have to understand…" He stopped, and this time Toph didn't interrupt. Instead, she scooted closer to where she could hear him, her face lowered to hide her expression.

"…Her name was Yue …"

* * *

Hiryu sighed as he continued to brew more tea. They were running low on sugar so he wasn't about to drink any himself, but the guests didn't seem to mind so he kept on. Underneath his feet, the stone floors wobbled as some of them became loose, but he ignored it. This was the only inn in the district with stone floors, which was specifically why the two war heroes currently talking on the ground floor a few rooms down had chosen this place. Certainly it wasn't for the glamour.

From behind another, much younger, man stumbled into the kitchen, a jet of cool air bursting through along with him. "Hey dad!" he began, yanking the hood off his brown head of hair. "It's a good thing they found that little Earthkingdom girl. Me and Sangok found a few polar bear-dog carcasses just outside the city limit. Seems like the wolves are getting closer this year."

The inn-keeper just nodded, his attention mostly focused on the pot of tea steaming on the fire. The other man rubbed his neck as he sat down. "…so. Is it true? Is it really him?"

Hiryu shrugged. "I try to stay out of other people's business, Kinto. Maybe you should do the same…"

The younger man just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah; but seriously, is that the guy?"

He sighed. "Yes, that is Sokka of the Southern Watertribe. The same one from the stories…"

"Wow…his girl is pretty. He really needs to learn to keep an eye on his women, huh dad?"

Hiryu dropped his spoon with a loud clatter and turned around sharply to face his son. "That's it! Kinto go home!"

He raised his hands defensively, "Whoa, relax dad, it was just a joke."

"No! I will not have you badmouthing my guests! Anything that happens is none of our concern. Now go home Kinto!"

The boy sulked. "Oh come on, you were thinking it too..." The older man said nothing, just taking a step forward and raising his hand threateningly. Taking the hint, Kinto leapt to his feet and sprinted out the door.

Hiryu rubbed his eyes and groaned. "I don't know what I'm going to do with that boy…"

* * *

"…So, she's a fish now?"

Sokka closed his eyes. "Please Toph, no jokes…"

To his surprise she just reached over and patted his knee. "No jokes," she agreed; her voice much more gentle then he remembered it.

The room remained still. Outside the moon had sunk just out of view of the open widow, suggesting that it was now _very_ late. He smiled and placed his hand on top of hers. "I should've told you sooner."

The girl shrugged. "It's okay. I feel really bad for everything I said in the oasis now though."

"Don't be. Just…be more careful okay? People get defensive when you badmouth something they really care about. If you were a guy, I probably would've punched you in the face."

She smiled a little. "Like you could. I'd take you down, no contest."

"You're lucky I lost space sword, that's all I'm gonna say…" Sokka stood up from where he sat on the edge of the bed, stretching as he did. "Well," he half-yawned as she felt him back slowly towards the door. "I need my beauty rest. Goodnight Toph."

"Goodnight Sokka," she said softly. The door creaked shut and Toph laid her head quietly against a warm pillow, listening to the sounds of the wind outside.

The Southern tribesman sighed and rubbed fiercely at his eyes. During the whole of their talk, he had completely forgotten just how exhausted he was, but now his body was quick to remind him. He turned a corner with his eyes half closed, bumping into another man as he walked.

"Hey!" the young man stopped him, much to Sokka's annoyance. "You're that guy! How's your girl doing?"

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

The man flashed him a toothy grin. "I'm Kinto; my dad is the inn-keeper here. You're Sokka right? From the Southern Watertribe?"

He nodded. "Yeah that's me…" he replied unenthusiastically, dreading for the question he knew might be coming next.

"So, that whole thing with the Moon spirit…is that true?"

Sokka could've face palmed. _"Yep, there it is…"_ he thought bitterly. "It depends on what you've heard. Listen Keto…"

"Kinto."

"Kinto, I'm really not in the mood to talk about this," he informed the young man, pushing past him as politely as he could in hopes of getting that much closer to a warm bed.

To his surprise, the boy maintained his fake smile and jogged up beside him. "I completely understand. So how's your wife doing?"

Sokka stopped. "Wife? I don't have a wife." He thought for a moment, and then suddenly chuckled when it occurred to him. "Oh, you mean Toph? No, we're just friends."

"Really? So she's single?"

The Southern tribesman narrowed his eyes. "…Yeah…"

Kinto's crooked smile widened. "That's great. You don't mind if I take I swing at her then do you? I've never dated a blind chick before!"

"…Toph's not exactly the 'take a swing at her' type…"

"I'll bet she's good with her hands. If you know what I mean…"

_BAM_

In a second, Kinto hit the ground, clutching at his injured eye. Sokka, far too tired to deal with him right then, just continued walking down the hallway, hopping that he got the message.

"You just punched me in the face!" the boy shrieked, his head already beginning to throb.

Somewhere laying in bed, Toph smiled.

* * *

**Tonight my love of punches to the face is really coming out isn't it? For all of RubyT's senseless fluff, I decided to submit something a little less fluffy for tonight...it wasn't fluffy was it? Damn...we've been too happy lately...**

**But seriously. Punches to the face? Awsome. I'd have something like that happen in every single story if I could!**

**...Kinto deserved it anyway...**

**Oh and the 'who' is Yue. I know I know, very loosely adapted, but it still works right?**


	20. 93 Fish

**You know, it just occured to us that we've been calling these drabbles, but they really aren't drabbles. They're one-shots. Drabbles are much shorter right? And even some of these aren't one shots because they're continuous... We need a better summary! If anyone comes up with a good one let us know, cuz we hate writing summarys.**

**Disclaimer monster says that we don't own ATLA, so it must be true...sigh...**

* * *

It all started about five years after the war. The Ozai loyalist rebellions had recently picked up steam back in the former Firenation colonies after they had been forced to return their land back to the Earthkingdom. Most citizens left peacefully, more than happy with the large compensation the new Firelord offered them; however there were always those disgruntled few with that uncanny talent with weaponry.

For them, there was Toph and Sokka; always outnumbered, but never outmatched.

Despite his waiting fiancé back home, Sokka always was ready to answer the call, however reluctant he may be. As for Toph, she was ready before she even knew anything about the rebellions. The prospect of reuniting with her old friend as well as returning to that battlefield she knew and loved was almost too exciting to bear.

The fighting wasn't meant to last as long as it did, but after a while Sokka couldn't help but notice as spring soon melted into summer, and summer soon into fall. He was amazed at how little this had fazed his friend, who continued on like a well-oiled machine; clearly more at home back on the road then she ever was with her parents for those five long years.

For Sokka, however, these battles soon began to wear away at him; dragging him down like a load of bricks. He missed Suki and he missed his home. Toph was great companionship, no doubt; but still, as time wore on he couldn't help but loose himself to the grind.

However, one night, after a particularly gruesome battle somewhere in the forests outside of Aunt Wu's village, (which Sokka had made a strong point that he wished to avoid) something changed. They were camping out under the stars and sitting quietly near a warm fire before conversation began.

"Toph?" he suddenly asked, peering down into the fire as it crackled away.

She sighed. Sokka had been in another one of his moods that day, so without saying she knew this conversation couldn't possibly be a pleasant one. "Yeah?"

"Does it ever get to you?"

Toph hugged her knees loosely as she absorbed the calming heat that radiated from the fire. "Does 'what' ever get to me?"

He shrugged, now picking up a small twig and poking it into the flames as he spoke. "The fighting. Doesn't it start to bother you after a while?"

She perked up her head in the direction of his voice. "You're kidding right? I love fighting; all that power is amazing! And the adrenaline rush? It's awesome!"

Sokka sighed, eyes still focused on the pile of flames dancing between the two of them. "But doesn't it ever start to…I don't know. Weigh you down a little? All that power; deciding who lives and who dies…"

Toph unclasped her hands and leaned back against her arms, letting her legs stretch out closer into the warm firelight. All around them she felt nothing but silence stretching out in each direction.

"No, not really. For the last five years I've been cooped up at home, being told exactly what to wear and where I could go. It feels nice finally having some control in my life again. That power is what keeps me going."

He said nothing.

"What's the matter snoozels? You're not going soft on me, are you?" She snickered, "little Miss Kyoshi have you whipped?"

He sat up, finally tossing the remains of the burning twig into the fire. "I wish. She hasn't even written me back since we last visited, two months ago. I hate having to do _everything_ in this relationship…" he grumbled.

Toph couldn't help but smirk a bit. After all, being lonely always feels better when you're not the only one.

"It's like she doesn't even care!" He sat back, speaking the last bit so quietly that a person with average hearing might not have caught it. "…If things keep going this way, I might have to break it off…"

Secretly, a tiny whisper of hope fluttered from deep within Toph's chest, but she quickly pushed it away. "Well. I'm going to bed," she declared, standing up and stretching. "Don't stay up all night snoozels. We've got a big day ahead of us."

"Okay Toph. Night," he replied, suddenly a lot more on his mind.

* * *

At about midnight that night, long after the fire had slunk into nothing but glowing embers, Toph awoke. From the other tent, she could feel as her partner tossed and turned in his dreams, and in doing so, sending out waves of vibrations she couldn't possibly ignore. She groaned and buried a fist deep inside the earth.

Inside his tent, Sokka was suddenly wakened by a large chuck of rock leaping up off the ground and jabbing him in the gut. He gasped, mopping the sweat off his brow as he made a grab for his sword out of impulse. "Toph, something just hit me!" he warned.

"Yeah, it was me. What's going on over there?"

He sighed, dropping his weapon to the floor. "Oh. Never mind then. Go back to sleep."

She rolled over on her back, cushioning her head with her arms. "Don't have to tell me twice…" she muttered, letting her eyelids slip closed. Nightmares weren't an unusual occurrence out on the road, and they weren't like Twinkle-toes and Sugarqueen; they didn't have to talk about every single sleepless night…

Sokka laid back into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. "Hey Toph?" he suddenly said, quiet enough so that she could chose to ignore him if she was too tired.

"…yeah?" he could barely make out her mumbled response though the thick, stone walls of her tent.

"Are you comfortable in there? Do you need any blankets or anything?"

She groaned. "Yes Sokka, I'm fine."

"…okay…just thought I'd check…"

There was a short silence before he finally heard her sigh again. "Is there something on your mind, Sokka?" she grumbled, more out of obligation then actual concern.

"Me? Oh no, I'm fine…"

"Then go to sleep!"

Again there was silence. Toph closed her eyes and pulled the blankets up closer around herself. Somewhere from the tent over she felt her partner sigh again and toss over. "…Hey Toph?" he whispered, even quieter than before.

'_Should I ignore him?'_ she pondered, gritting her teeth as he whispered her name again. "What?" she finally spat, throwing off her blankets and sitting up.

"…Are you hungry?"

"Spirits Sokka! How old are you again?"

"…twenty…"

Slapping her forehead, Toph stumbled out of her earth tent and into his traditional watertribe one. He gasped as she stood over him, glaring down in his general direction with unfocused eyes. She wore nothing but her bindings, hastily wrapped and looking as if they might fall at any minute. Sokka gulped.

"Uh…"

Wasting no more time, she took a seat next to him on the sleeping bag. "Just pretend we're at the beach," she mumbled in regard to her cloths. "Now spill. I don't have all night."

He looked away for the sake of decency and shrugged. "I was just wondering if you wanted to come over and share some jerky or something…"

She sighed. "Okay, what's got your panties in a bunch? Did you dream about evil hog monkeys or something?"

"I don't wanna talk about that," he mumbled, instead turning his attention to his bag and pulling out several strips of blubbered seal jerky. "Here," he handed one to his friend, who just tossed it back and rubbed her eyes. Sokka shrugged and bit into it instead, sighing contently as he chewed.

"So you just woke me up for nothing?" the earthbender grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Guess so. Hey, do you want to go swimming?" Toph growled in response and slapped her forehead. "It was just a question…"

"What is _wrong_ with you? Do you have any idea how late it is?"

The water tribesman shrugged and turned away. "…It was about Suki okay? That's why I don't want to talk about it…"

Toph's scowl disappeared. "…oh…" she replied softly, not quite knowing what to say.

Scratching at the stubble on his chin, Sokka continued to dig into his snack as the awkward silence continued. "…so…are you sure you don't want to do something? We could go fishing!"

She gazed up at him as if he had somehow sprouted a second head. "What?"

He smiled back. "Yeah! Just go get dressed and…"

"Sokka, have you lost your mind? It's late. I'm going back to bed."

"Wait!" he stopped her as she began to rise for the door. "Uh…we could do something you wanna do." She raised a brow and he dropped his hand back down. "I don't really feel like going back to sleep okay?"

Toph sighed and planted herself back down on his sleeping bag, rolling her eyes. "Seriously Sokka, you seem a little too old for a babysitter," she only half teased, laying back and snatching an unused spare blanket from the floor. "Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story too?"

He smiled. "I would _love_ to hear you tell a bedtime story."

"How about the one about the boy that got eaten by platypus-bears because he _wouldn't go to sleep_?" she retorted.

Sokka just smiled wider and snuggled into his blankets. "No…" he mused, pretending to give the matter some thought. "I want a story about a princess!"

"…you're just trying to annoy me now aren't you?"

"Yep."

She sighed. "Fine. There once was a bossy princess, a girly knight, an awesome bandit, and the princess's jackass brother…"

"I don't like that story," he butted in, most likely pouting though she couldn't see it. "Try a new one…about a fish!"

"No. You're too picky. Now I'm going back to sleep," she started to rise again, only for him to grab her wrist and yank her back onto to the ground.

"I'll be good I promise!" he told her, trying to look the picture of innocence. "Seriously though, I'm kind of interested to see what you'll come up with. I mean, everyone knows I'm the master story-teller of course, but…"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah; you and your ego and all that, I get it. Fine, I'll tell you a story. But after that I'm going to sleep, okay?" He nodded. She thought for a moment, rubbing her chin in intense concentration before finally managing to piece together a somewhat-coherent storyline

"There once was a magic fish that lived in a puddle, where it could hardly move. But one day, a prince and his friends discovered the unhappy little fish and moved it into the ocean. There, the fish and the group of humans went on many different adventures and stuff and had a great time; and everyday the fish would get bigger and stronger. But then slowly the humans stopped coming to visit, as one by one they began to grow up and start families of their own. Pretty soon, the fish, which had grown into a great and powerful tigershark at this point, was all alone in the ocean without any of her friends.

"But then, one day, a giant, evil sea monster arose from the ocean and started destroying all ships that were coming into the prince's harbor. So the prince, who had almost forgotten about the fish, called upon the lonely tigershark for help and even sent one of his old friends to assist her. There, the two teamed up and kicked the sea monster's butt. Afterwards, while the tigershark and the prince's friend started making the long journey to the prince's kingdom, she realized that she was in love with him and longed for more than anything to be human so that she could join all of her friends on land and they could start a life together and all that good stuff. Now the prince's friend, who was a good guy at heart, knew about her secret wish and promised her that he would go in search of something that could turn her into a human. But when he returned back to land to begin his quest, he instead met and fell in love with a beautiful woman and forgot about his promise. He lived happily ever after, while the tigershark died lonely and miserable. The end."

Sokka was silent for a minute. "…that was really depressing."

The earthbender just shrugged. "Well that's life. Now go to sleep."

"You know, I never realized just how cynical you are," he continued, sitting up in his sleeping bag. "You're even worse than I am."

"Always the charmer, aren't you snoozles?" she replied, rolling her eyes as she laid back onto the ground and wrapped the blanket tighter around herself. "Now if you aren't going to let me sleep in my tent then I'm going to pass out in here okay?"

He didn't answer, instead just watching her as she closed her pale eyes and yawned. The only light came from a single candle near his side, and the glow seemed to flicker across her skin and illuminate her figure in a way that was haunting. For a minute he just sat in silence, gazing down at his friend; transfixed despite himself.

Finally Toph sat up again and opened her unseeing eyes. "Will you lay down already? I know you're watching me and its creeping me out," she complained, rubbing at her eyes as she grumbled.

"Toph…you can go back to your tent if you want."

She shrugged. "To late now, I'm all comfortable. Besides, it's cold tonight and with all your hot air it stays pretty nice in here." The earthbender laid back on the ground and stared ahead at the ceiling she couldn't see.

"I still don't like your story. Why couldn't the fish just find another fish to live with instead of that human guy?"

"Because fish are lame, that's why. Now go to sleep before I catapult you out of here."

He frowned. "I understand why the fish wanted to be human…" Sokka continued, ignoring as his friend groaned with impatience. "But what's the point of making it fall in love with that guy? And why would the fish want some inconsiderate jerk like that anyway?"

"…That's a good question snoozles…a _very_ good question…" Toph murmured, her tone suddenly taking on a hint of melancholy.

Everything was silent for a minute as he continued to ponder the point of her story. Admittedly, Sokka knew he was never too great in the 'common sense' department, but suddenly, in the quiet of the autumn forest, alone with his this girl he liked to think he knew better than anyone else, pieces _did_ start to come together. Maybe he was overanalyzing it, but there seemed to be an eerie coincidence between fantasy and reality here...

"Now about this fish…ouch!" his thoughts were suddenly cut short as a small rock leapt off the ground and hit him in the head. "Toph, that hurt!" he whined.

She smirked, before sitting up and blowing her bangs out of her face. "Well you should learn to keep your trap shut," she shrugged.

Sokka rubbed at his head and pouted. "I just wanted to ask you about your story. It's not everyday your best friend admits they love you…" Toph froze, all color draining from her face. He smiled, taking it as a good indicator he was correct, "come on Toph, even I'm not that stupid…"

Without speaking, he brushed the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I…" she started, completely flabbergasted by the turn of events.

Then, just like that, he leaned in and kissed her. Toph's eyes bulged wide and she gasped, pulling away from him as she felt her cheeks glow hot. Sokka froze. Did he do something wrong? Maybe it _was_ just a story. He suddenly wanted to go bang his head on a rock. How could he have been so stupid? Toph was his best friend, of course she didn't…

But his thoughts were suddenly cut short as she took a deep breath and kissed him back, this time wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in closer. He closed his eyes, reaching up to embrace her body tight against his.

* * *

Morning came in the form of a messenger hawk.

Sokka opened his eyes reluctantly and yawned, careful not to disturb the snoozing earthbender beside him as be stretched. A loud screech echoed just outside the tent as Hawky planted himself on the stump of a tree and flapped his wings impatiently.

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming…" he mumbled, slipping on his cloths as Toph groaned and rolled over somewhere in a tangled heap of blankets. She clutched a pillow tight and murmured something incoherent. "What did you say?" he asked her, brushing away a mop of raven hair sticking to her face.

She peeled open an eye. "Go answer that damn bird already…"

He smiled and kissed her cheek before exiting the tent. There, waiting for him, was Hawky appearing tired and annoyed as he picked angrily at the straps holding his owner's message. Sokka stretched, turning his head to one side, then the other and listening to his neck crack. "Relax Hawky, I'm here," he reassured his pet, patting it softly on the head before unfurling the scroll in its pack.

Sokka went pale. He reread the letter carefully, biting his lip as he did. "Oh no…" he muttered, glancing back towards his tent before returning his attention to the message in his hands.

"What is it?" Toph asked, reemerging from inside, wrapped only in a handful of water tribe blankets she had gathered.

He slumped to the ground. "I am such an ass…" he mumbled, watching Hawky hop off his stump and wonder to pick at the ground.

The earthbender sat herself next to him. "What is it?" she repeated, much softer this time.

"Its from Suki...we need to go back to Kyoshi," he said quietly, rolling the scroll back up and getting to work packing their belongings without sparing his friend so much as a passing glance.

She tightened her grip on the blankets and bit her lip. "Sokka," she demanded forcefully, standing up and turning in his direction. He stopped, but couldn't bring himself to face her. "What did it say?"

"…Toph…I'm sorry about everything…"

"What did it say?"

She felt her eyes began to water as he sighed. "Suki's pregnant. We need to go back immediately," he replied softly, his tone refusing to betray any emotion. Nether moved for a moment as she began to wipe at her cheeks, tilting her head low so that her hair could curtain her from the world.

Without speaking, Toph rose and walked back into her earth tent, leaving him alone to gather his things. The warrior sighed and rubbed his face, stopping to look over in her direction one last time before entering his own tent and grabbing his pack. "I'm sorry Toph…" he muttered quietly, more to himself than anything.

To his surprise, a voice answered, soft and broken from the tent over. "And then he lived happily ever after, while the tigershark died lonely and miserable…"

"Toph…"

"..."

* * *

**Please review.**

**_-puppy dog eyes-_**


	21. 74 Lose

**Admittedly, this might be our angstyest one yet. Seriously, rereading this, its like...overly depressing. We don't even have any jokes for you today because of the mood this has put us in.**

**It continues about a year after fish left off, but hopefully it can still work as a stand-alone fic. (also sorry for the false alarm a few minutes ago. Marla wanted me to mention the relation between this one and fish so you wouldn't be confused)**

**We do not own ATLA.**

* * *

She hugged her knees tightly against her chest, the light of the fire dancing across her bare shoulders before being absorbed into the black ink of her hair. Tomorrow would be a big day for the both of them, and they knew how bad they both needed their sleep; however the unresolved issues between the pair made it impossible for them to turn in just yet.

"Toph…" he tried softly, turning his eyes away from the flames long enough to see her shrug.

The girl closed her eyes and tilted her head down. "Sokka, I don't want to talk about it. Tomorrow we're going to break into the resistance's prison camp and rescue everybody, then you'll go back to Kyoshi Island with them and I'll go back home to Gaoling alone and it'll be like this whole thing never happened."

He was silent for a minute. "…Toph it's not that…"

"I know."

Somewhere a wolf howled in the distance. A small bug landed on Toph's arm, but she made no move to swat at it. Sokka picked up a twig and absentmindedly began to poke at the glowing fire.

It had been six long months since the Kyoshi warriors had been ambushed and abducted by the Resistance during a top secret mission somewhere in the former Firenation colonies. During all that time Sokka had turned to the one person he knew could help him save the group; the infamous blind bandit herself. It had been months since they had last seen one another and things had defiantly not ended well, but like the true friend she was, Toph had selflessly abandoned her life to come to his aid without a single protest.

It wasn't fair for it to happen. Suki hadn't even wanted to go, but the Firelord himself had sent the summon calling upon the group after Toph's refusal and, as leader, she had no choice. He had begged her not to go, claiming that she was still recovering from an uneasy childbirth and that it was irresponsible for her to leave her family at such a delicate time. But she had left anyway. And now she was captured.

So, with great reluctance, Sokka had left behind their infant son in search of his wife; and Toph had joined him despite that bitter taste in her mouth the situation gave her. Together, they had managed to find out where they were holding them and had formulated a plan; one that would began by sunrise the next morning.

But for now, it was just Toph and Sokka sitting around the soft glow of a campfire.

Sokka cleared his throat and turned his head away. This wasn't easy, ignoring everything that had happened in their past. He almost regretted asking her to come, had she not been such a valuable asset. Putting her in this situation _defiantly_ wasn't fair…

"I'm sorry Toph…but…she's my wife. I love her."

The earthbender bit her lip. "I know…I shouldn't have said anything…" she mumbled, lifting her head up just long enough for him to hear her clearly.

"…Toph…"

The situation was too fragile, everything hanging on by just a thread. It went without saying that Toph was probably right; if everything went according to plan and they were all safe in the end, they would both go their separate ways and return to the lives they once had. For better or for worse.

"…You know I love you, right?" he finally said, more of a reminder than a question.

Toph sighed; she knew he was telling the truth. "You love me now…" she murmured, eyes watering. "…but tomorrow…"

He scooted closer and placed a callused hand on her shoulder. "Listen Toph, whatever happens you're still my best friend okay? Nothing's ever going to change that."

"I hate you..." she mumbled, head still down so he couldn't see her face.

Sokka said nothing, instead scooting even closer and wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. She made no move to stop him, instead just slinking down and biting her lip twice as hard.

"Thank you Toph…for everything. You're such a good friend…"

She closed her eyes. "…Shut up…"

"You're so amazing and smart and talented…"

She clawed at her knees. "Shut up."

"Some day you're going to find someone that'll make you very happy…"

She clenched her jaw. "Shut up!"

"Then this whole thing will just seem like a bad dream…"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" the girl erupted, kicking and punching at him unmercifully. He pulled away, but otherwise took her blows without comment, wincing silently as she attacked. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and began to stream down her face in miniature waterfalls. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" Toph bellowed, uncaring as a series of birds took flight somewhere nearby.

"Toph, calm down!" he finally managed, grabbing one of her wrists after a well-aimed hook to the jaw that was particularly painful. She ignored him, continuing to strike repetitively with the other fist before he had to restrain that one as well. The girl whipped her head away growling and fought for her hands back for another minute, before finally slumping in defeat and breaking down into tears.

He wrapped and arm around her and patted his friend's back, letting her collapse into his shirt. "Toph, it scares me to see you like this…"

"…y-you can't m-make me g-go b-back…" she sobbed, gripping onto his arm as if her life depended on it. "…I-I can't go b-back t-there…"

He hushed her gently. It was so strange to watch her break down, and even stranger knowing he played a small part in it. This was Toph – the blind bandit, the runaway, the master – she wasn't supposed to break. He was supposed to break down. It was Sokka's job to fall apart and loose and collapse into pieces, not hers. He was supposed to panic. She was stone; calm and cool under any condition.

Finally Toph quieted down and he found his voice once more. "…this isn't just about me is it?"

"…I can't go back there Sokka…They're all expecting me to be perfect. They need me to be Toph _Bei Fong_…I just…I just don't think I can do that…"

With a gentle motion, he shifted her weight so that she was now cradled warm in his arms, allowing him to see her face. Carefully, Sokka reached down and brushed a tear from her cheek, not missing the silent shutter this action gave her. "Toph…you can't just keep running away from your problems…and I can't run away from mine…"

"Why not?" she asked, pouting as another tear welled up in her seafoam-colored eye. "We can just run away and never look back! Aang would break her out eventually anyway!"

He sighed. "Toph…even if I wanted to, then what? Keep running? Whatever happened to facing your problems 'head on'?"

"You're just saying that because you love Suki more than me…"

Sokka said nothing for a while, watching the light of the flames dance across the earthbender's puffy cheeks, only to absorb into her raven locks without any hope of escape. "…I'm supposed to love her more…" he replied softly. Toph opened her eyes, surprised by his words. "But even if I _hated_ her, I couldn't just leave. I have responsibilities now and so do you. You're acting like a child, Toph."

She sat up, pushing him away in a huff. "I'll act however I want to act!" the girl spat back, jumping to her feet.

"Wait!" he stopped her, snatching one of her wrists to prevent her from leaving. A small pillar of earth erupted from the ground beneath where he sat, and Sokka stood up accordingly to avoid being catapulted away. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I don't care! If you aren't coming with me, then I'm going on my own!" She said stubbornly, dragging him along unintentionally as she stomped away. With the flick of her wrist, a large green bag leapt up in the air and into her free hand.

He tried planting his feet, but it was like trying to stop a full grown komodo-rhino. Sokka yanked back hard on her arm, avoiding another pillar of earth by jumping to the right just in time. "Just hold on!" he tried though gritted teeth.

"No," she said bluntly, doing her best to throw him off, but failing.

"Toph, just listen to me! I know things are hard, but you can't just run away! You're an earthbender damn it!"

At this she stopped. Sokka, almost missing it, nearly lost his balance had Toph not been there to steady him. She stood for a moment in silence. "…They're going to make me marry Hiroshi…" she admitted softly.

"What?"

She closed her eyes, pulling back her hand. "I'm eighteen now, Sokka," the earthbender mumbled, tilting her head away and letting her hair fall into her face. "If I don't get married, well…it's just not good for the 'family image'. So when I go home, my parents are going to make me marry some snobby Pang boy…and if I refuse, then they'll disown me."

He froze. "Oh Toph…they wouldn't really do that…would they?" A single tear dripping from her chin, the woman nodded soundlessly. Sokka scowled, surprise giving way to anger. "They can't do that! Just who do they think they are?" he growled.

"Why do you think I wanted to leave? I can either marry Hiroshi and make everybody happy, or say no and be cut off from my own family. At least if I never go back, then everybody can think I'm dead and my parents can still brag about their 'honorable daughter'. So far, that's my best option."

He fell silent for a moment, thinking quietly to himself. Suddenly he brightened, an idea forming. "What about Aang and Katara? You could go live with them."

She scoffed. "And listen to their perfect life? No thank you. I'd rather be MIA."

"But…you can't go! Especially not now! We have a plan!" the warrior tried, stepping closer and outstretching his arms for emphasis. She said nothing, just turning her head away to express her stubbornness. Sokka sighed. "Just…please Toph. Let's just focus on getting everybody home safe and sound okay? Then we can discuss you're living arrangements."

"What _living arrangements_? I'm leaving, and you're gonna be the hero you always wanted to be," the woman spat, starting to walk away once more. "You can handle the plan without me."

With one final act of desperation, Sokka dashed up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, lacing his fingers together in front and, with a grunt, picked her up off the ground. Toph gasped; then thrashed violently in his grasp, kicking and punching the air around them as she screamed for him to put her down. "Now stop it!" he demanded from between gritted teeth, straining to hold up her weight. Luckily, even as an adult, the girl was still petite enough for this action to work.

"LET ME GO!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"JUST LISTEN TO ME FOR ONE SECOND!" Ignoring him, Toph continued to attack the air, occasionally successful in hitting her target. Deciding this was the best he'd get, Sokka kept going, forced to scream over her. "NOW I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO GO HOME, AND TO BE HONEST, AFTER HEARING WHAT I JUST HEARD I WOULDN'T WANT YOU TO GO BACK ANYWAY. BUT WE HAVE A JOB TO DO AND WE ARE GOING TO DO IT OKAY? SO JUST SHUT UP, GO TO SLEEP, AND YOU CAN HATE ME IN THE MORNING."

After several more minutes of struggling, Toph closed her eyes and fell limp, finally submitting to helplessness of her situation. "Fine…" she muttered bitterly. "But after this is over, I'm leaving and there's nothing you can do about it."

Her friend nodded, lowering her back down to earth. "I would rather you didn't," he answered honestly, "but I'm not going to stop you..."

Now safely on the ground, she immediately tore away from his grip and stomped back towards camp. "Of course you're not…" the young bender mumbled, nearing her rock tent with each step.

* * *

Sokka closed his eyes and sighed. Coming to his side, Aang gently patted his brother-in-law's arm in a sympathetic gesture. "Are you okay?" the avatar asked calmly.

Sokka said nothing, just turning his head away and pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. "Please Aang, not now…"

"Suki-"

"I said not now!" the tribesman snapped. Aang pulled his hand away defensively, surprised by his friend's outburst. Somewhere behind them, Katara watched on curiously, patting an aging Momo currently snoozing on her lap. A loud shout echoed from across the docks as the Kyoshi Warriors all boarded for home.

The plan worked flawlessly and the battle had been fought and won, though not without its casualties. Despite all of their hard work and planning and careful execution, there were some battles where nature would always have the upper hand. The prison camp had been hard on the girls, and the cold weather had brought plague over the past few months. Half of them didn't even make it. Suki had never stood a chance…

Aang sighed. He knew this must've been hard for him. "...Well if you ever wanna talk about it, we'll be right here." The two shared an uncomfortable silence as Sokka continued staring into the ocean without comment. The airbender scratched his neck. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us? Katara and I are going to Kyoshi too and it might be easier…"

"No," he replied sharply, cutting him off. Although he was still, Aang could see his friend absentmindedly pick away at the wolf-shaped helmet in his shaking hands.

Suddenly Katara rose from her seat, gently lowering Momo to the ground before appearing at her brother's side. "Sokka…" she started delicately, "I understand how hard this must be for you…" He just shrugged.

After several minutes of coaxing, the pair finally gave up. With tearful goodbyes and unresponsive hugs, Katara and Aang both boarded Appa reluctantly and waved goodbye to the stoic warrior below, vanishing from view as they took off into the sky.

There was a second of peace before another presence made itself known.

"I thought you would've left by now…" he muttered bitterly, not bothering to look back as she approached him from behind.

Laying an uncharacteristically gentle hand on his shoulder, Toph remained quiet. "I just wanted to say goodbye…" she said softly, knowing better than to push the subject.

For the first time that morning, Sokka tore his eyes away from the sea and looked into those of his friend. "So you're still going…" he stated emotionlessly. She nodded, her unfocused gaze aimed just left of where he stood.

Neither spoke for a moment as they listened to the waves lap gently against the docks. A guest of wind rippled though the air, their cloths and hair flapping violently for a second, before dying back down into silence. Any minute now the ship would set course for Kyoshi Island and disappear off into the horizon. Silently, Sokka wondered if he could bring himself to board it.

"Take me with you."

Toph retracted her hand. "I don't think that's a good idea…"

"Why not? You wanted to yesterday."

She pushed a wad of bangs from her face, tilting up her head for him to see her better. Just before she answered, a voice boomed out in the distance for last chance to board, but they both ignored it. "That was…wrong…I mean, you have Li to take care of and…"

"Li will be just fine," he interrupted. "He has a whole village to take care of him."

Loosing her former caution, Toph waited a second before replying. "Don't be stupid," she said bluntly. He opened his mouth to interrupt again, but this time she stopped him. "You're getting on that boat and going home, you got that? And do you know why?" Again, she refused to give her friend the time to respond. "Because you have a job to do. So shut up and go home."

"Toph…"

"You heard me!" the woman demanded, her voice cracking just barely under the strain. Beyond her control, her seafoam eyes began to water, but she made no move to hide it from him at that moment.

He glanced away towards the edge of the docks, where a man was already beginning to set sail. The women were all below decks no doubt, catching up on some much needed rest. Sokka closed his eyes and was silent.

"…We'll be okay, you know…both of us," she said calmly, a bittersweet smile crossing her lips.

Reluctantly, Sokka returned it. "…Thanks Toph…I'm sorry…about everything…"

Breaking the tension of the moment the best she could, the women punched him in the arm and forced a wider smile on her face. "Just get outta here, snoozles. I'll see you again someday."

Rubbing his arm, the tribesman finally turned away from the sea and began his somber march towards the boat, only to stop midway and turn back to face his friend one last time. "I really do love you…despite it all…and I hope you keep that promise."

"I'll try my best, meathead," she replied soberly, another tear streaking down her cheek. "Now get outta here before you miss your ride."

And with that last exchange, he turned away once more and boarded just in time. Toph sighed as she felt his weight disappear onto the wooden bow of the ship, and although she couldn't see it, Sokka spared her one last tearful glance before disappearing below deck to join the other warriors.

Surprisingly, it was Ty-Lee who patted his hand as he felt the boat rock to life. "It's okay…" she mumbled. He didn't answer, instead just closing his eyes and choosing to catch up on some much needed sleep.

* * *

**See? That was just...sad.**

**We really hope it wasn't OOC, but it probably was. Please don't hate us for that.**

**Oh and sorry for the long wait. We have no excuse really, except that our writings been really suckish lately. Even more so than usual. Plus Marla has been beating her head against the wall coming up with another chapter to Blood and Drugs, so there hasn't been much brainjuice other than what has trickled into this chapter. I keep telling her its not important, but she really wants to experiment with Sokkla, so whatever. Personaly I feel a little betrayed...**

**Marla- ...you're the one who sugested UrsaXSokka...**

**RubyT- shh!**


	22. 25 Foolhardy

Okay, here's a seriously pointless one-shot for all you Tokkaneers out there. After all that angst we've decided to take pity on you and grant you this little "Gem" (aka-piece of crap). This is Marla speaking, wishing you all a happy sexual-harassment wensday! ("wait...its monday? that means I _did _deserve that slap in the face! RubyT, why didn't you tell me it wasn't wensday yet?")

**Disclaimer monster admits he doesn't own ATLA. He also prays that Korra is not a decendant of Suki and Sokka, like the rumors all say. And if she is, then Meelo better be the ilegitimate Tokka baby we all know exsists!**

**Disclaimer monster is a weird guy...**

* * *

She pressed her body closer into his, shoving them both up against the wall. Sokka held his breath. Whether she was purposely ignoring the dramatic spike in his heart rate or just too preoccupied to notice, he didn't know.

"What is it?" he breathed, only for Toph to shush him and press harder. A second passed, and he closed his eyes, fighting desperately to calm himself down.

The young earthbender tilted back her head for moment, straining her ears in hopes of picking up any sort of noise. "Someone's coming," she whispered, jerking her head back and pushing herself even tighter against him in an attempt to hide deeper into the shadows. "Are we in the line of vision?"

Sokka, who had been grinding his teeth in a mad attempt to distract himself from the young girl's maturing figure so soft against his own, barely choked out a response. "No."

"Good."

In seconds, a guard marched past the targeted doorway, whistling softly to himself as he did. Suddenly the man stopped, and both Sokka and Toph held their breath. He glanced around the hallway with narrowed eyes, surveying the area as his whistling came to a halt. "Who goes there?"

The question was met by silence. Sokka squeezed his eyes tighter, lungs desperate for air. Toph gently pressed a hand over his shoulder and into the stone behind him, gaining a clearer picture of the suspicious guard as he shrugged and began to fall into step once more. In another second, the whistling was back, and after what seemed like a lifetime, it faded into the darkness.

"Is he gone?"

She didn't answer for a moment. "Yeah, I think so," she said finally, peeling herself off of him and stepping back into the empty hallway. Sokka followed, letting out his breath and inhaling dramatically. His heart was pounding in his ears, but luckily Toph was still ignoring it.

"That was too close. Let's just forget about it, Toph. It's too risky," the warrior managed to say, his friend already prying open the door eagerly as he did.

"No way. I've been waiting far too long and now might be our only chance." Grabbing onto his shirt and dragging a reluctant Sokka along, she stepped into the blackness of the chamber.

He blinked, batting away her hand as the door closed behind them with a soft thud. "I can't see a thing," the boy complained, squinting into the darkened stairway.

She rolled her eyes and took his hand. "I think you'll survive," the earthbender mumbled, leading him down the stairs slowly, but still at a pace much faster than he would've liked. "Now come on already. They might realize we're gone at any second."

"I didn't even want to do this! It's not like we can't just buy our own!"

Finally, after minutes upon minutes of decent, a light appeared in the distance and the duo quickened their pace. A few seconds later, Toph's bare foot met solid ground and she smiled; happy to leave behind the twisted stairway. Sokka blinked as his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room. All around they discovered row after row of the finest liquor the Firenation, and possibly the world, had to offer. Shelves upon shelves lined the cellar, each one containing a variety of drinks he could only imagine.

His jaw dropped. "That...is a _lot_ of alcohol."

The girl smirked. "And you don't think the Firelord can afford some of the best stuff ever made? I'm sixteen now! I am not gonna settle for whatever liquid crap you can muster up."

"Katara's gonna kill us…"

"And that's why she's never gonna find out. Now come on, the good stuff's in the back," she replied to her friend's threat, snatching his hand and yanking him deeper into the cellar, past rows and rows of whiskeys and wines.

He stumbled behind, gazing around the room with child-like wonder. "And how do you know that?"

"Because the good stuff's _always_ in the back," she answered, still dragging him along. Another few steps later, they reached the end of the chamber. Without a word, Toph dropped his hand and raced over towards a large wooden case so fast, Sokka hardly had time to notice it before she was already prying it open. "Jackpot!" the girl cheered, overjoyed to find that it was unlocked.

Slowly and dramatically, she revealed a dusty, old wine bottle and held it up to the light for him to see. Sokka took it from her hands carefully and blew a layer of dust off of it. "Wow…" he muttered, reading the label.

"Good right?"

He nodded, eyes widening as he brushed away access dust from the glass. "I'm no expert, but I'd say that this date, coupled with the fact that it's in a really fancy case in the back of a guarded cellar of the palace of one the most important people in the world, means that this…is some damn good stuff."

"And you wanted to go _buy_ something," the girl jeered, slugging him in the arm for good measure. "Open it!"

Without further hesitation, Sokka went to work on the bottle, struggling with it for an embarrassingly long time as Toph eagerly urged him on. "Come on, come on!" she practical yelled, the only response being a grunted version of her own chant as he continued his tug-of-war with the object.

Suddenly, the cork shot out, flying out of his grasp and into the forehead of the eager birthday girl herself. "Ouch!" Toph shouted, impulsively stepping backwards from the impact and backing into one of the many shelves.

At that second, time almost stood still as each of them processed just exactly what was happening. Shelf number one, knocked over by Toph, crashed down to the floor in a gruesome heap, bringing with it shelves two and three, which in turn collapsed four, five, six, and seven, only to fall upon and destroy eight, nine, ten, eleven, and so on in that fashion, until not a single bottle of whiskey, rum, wine, or even bourbon remained undisturbed.

They both stood perfectly still, too paralyzed to even notice that Sokka was currently spilling the wine onto the floor in his state of shock. The smell of alcohol in all shapes and sizes filled the room, the ground now literately flooded with broken glass and expensive liquids. Neither even dared breath, both silently praying they would wake up at any moment.

"…oops…"

Sokka turned to the girl who'd spoken with budging eyes. "Oops!" he practically screamed, coming to life as his limbs spazzed erratically in the air while he spoke. "They are going to kill us and all you can say is 'oops'?"

Face pale on an unhealthy level, Toph finally spurred to life as well. "This is your fault! If you hadn't hit me with that cork, I wouldn't have backed into that shelf!"

"You should've ducked!"

"I'm blind, genius! I couldn't see it coming!"

"I warned you!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"**WHAT THE HELL**?"

The duo froze. Sokka looked up slowly, his gaze meeting that of the Firelord himself, red faced with literal smoke erupting from his mouth, nose and ears. "…run?" the warrior whispered, dropping the near-empty wine bottle to the floor.

"Run," she agreed. In a moment, Toph punched a fist deep into the stone walls of the cellar and carved out a massive tunnel in the rock. Both of them then reached deep into the unharmed case and snatched several more bottles of expensive wine before disappearing into the cave and closing it behind them seconds before Zuko could lunge in time to capture them.

From there, they tunneled down; deciding that anywhere above earth would be unsafe for the time being. Toph continuously carved deeper and deeper into the dirt until finally she stopped, panting as she pointed up and bent a small hole traveling all the way up towards the surface to allow air into the cave. Sokka collapsed to the ground, not even bothering to complain as an earthworm fell flat against his forehead from above. The cave was in complete blackness, but he felt her drop at his side in a huff and immediately reach for one of the bottles he had let roll from his lap to the ground.

Flicking away the disturbing grub, Sokka finally caught his breath and started to formulate a plan. "Okay…now I say we camp out here until nightfall, then tunnel our way up and flee the city to live out in exile somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. Sound good?"

In one fluid motion, Toph popped off the cork without fail and let it drop to the floor. "That, snoozles, is how you open a bottle," she muttered bitterly, before raising it to her lips and inhaling a generous amount.

"Give me that!" he snatched it away in mid-gulp. "You understand the plan right?" Toph nodded, humming in agreement as her taste buds burned in ecstasy. "Good. Now we have about seven hours before midnight, so I say we drink up while we can," he explained before taking a deep swig from the bottle in hand.

The young bender smacked her lips together and smiled. "Damn…that _is_ good. How many of those do we have?"

Lowering the wine, he felt around the darkness for a brief moment. "I think four. They're all different, but probably just as good judging by my 'fancy case' theory."

Yanking the bottle from his grip seconds before he could drink from it again, Toph poured another gulp down her throat before smiling even wider. "Not exactly how I intended to spend my birthday, but I guess it could be worse…"

"Toph…we're stuck underground with the Firelord, and probably my sister, on a war path against us right now with no food and no water; and as soon as they find an earthbender they're going to dig us up and simultaneously burn and drown us alive. What about this could possibly be good?"

She shrugged. "…at least I get to hang out with you…" the girl replied softly. Catching herself, however, she quickly added on, "I mean, if it was Twinkle-toes or Sugarqueen, I think I'd rather die than spend seven hours in a hole listening to all their 'gooeyness'," a small blush flustering her cheeks.

Sokka smiled. "Plus this wine is _really_ good," he mused, tossing back another sweet gulp before handing it over. "And you know what? There's no one else I'd rather share it with."

Toph hit him playfully in the arm. "Don't get too mushy on me now, meathead!" she jeered, swooshing around the bottle in her other hand to judge just how much they had put away in such short a time span.

For a moment, the duo shared a long silence, concentrating more on draining their stash than conversing, the both of them passing the bottle back in forth in a steady rhythm. Sokka tried desperately to analyze their surroundings, but couldn't even manage to see two inches past his nose. At his side, Toph rubbed her eyes as the minutes wore on.

"Oh and for the record, I am never taking you on another secret mission, ever again," she said finally, catching him off guard.

"What? Why not? I was sneaky!" the warrior defended, glaring in the direction of her voice.

"Your heart nearly jumped out of your freaking chest! It wasn't even a real mission but when I pushed you into that corner I thought you were going to explode!" Somewhere in the dark, he could hear Toph burp before handing the bottle back over.

Sokka took another swig before answering. "You just caught me off guard," he defended between gulps, gasping as he felt her suddenly rest her head against his shoulder. "Like that! When did you start getting all, touchy-feely?"

"I'm not touch-feely! I'm tired and the alcohol's going to my head. Aren't I allowed to be comfortable?"

He passed back the bottle, the motion becoming second nature to the both of them by now. "Then what was that back in the hallway? I could've sworn you were feeling me up!"

"_Me_ feel _you_ up? Don't make me laugh!" she scoffed, disappointed as she swished around the remainder of the wine before tossing it back. "I didn't want any of Sparky's guards catching us."

"But you said it yourself, it wasn't a real mission. They wouldn't have done anything if they just saw us there standing around." He grinned, knowing he had her there. "Yep, it's pretty clear that you want me…" the warrior teased.

Tossing the empty bottle aside, Toph suddenly giggled and grabbed another. "But your heart was still pounding. Maybe it is _you_ who wants _me_…" In another graceful motion, the cork twisted out, but this time Sokka snatched it from her and inhaled another mouthful.

"Don't be ridiculous! The wine _must_ be going to your head," he replied after swallowing, handing her back the bottle. Somewhere in the dark, she felt his hand accidently brush up against the side of her knee and they both blushed.

"Your heart's speeding up again," the girl pointed out. "That time, it was _your_ fault!"

Sokka hiccupped slightly. "Well I guess I just caught myself off guard. I can't see anything in here remember? I'm blinder than you are right now."

She shrugged, handing back the bottle. "True. But your heart rate still went up."

"It was a coincidence."

Suddenly, and without warning, the petite earthbender leaned in closer and pressed her body against his, her face now inches from his own. "…coincidence huh?" He could smell the alcohol on her lips and could only assume just how close she had gotten to him. He held his own breath, trying everything in his power to steady his pulse as he felt her tiny hand fall against his chest. Toph smiled, now practically laying on him as she brought her lips to his ear and slurred quietly. "You're such a bad liar…"

"I…I think you've had too much to drink…" he stammered, uttering a small gasp as she slid her hand up across his chest and stopped at his shoulder.

"Just admit it" she said plainly before pulling back and using her free hand to lift the bottle to her lips once more, maneuvering herself so that she now sat on his lap.

Sokka snatched the wine from her hand, spilling a little on the both of them in the process. "Give me that! You've had enough!" he demanded, before taking a sip himself. "Honestly Toph, if I was half as drunk as you…"

She giggled. "Just admit defeat, and I'll get off you…"

The boy smiled, pride winning out. "Never!" he cried in an overly dramatic tone, pointing into the darkness with the bottle and inadvertently spilling a small amount onto the floor around them. She giggled even louder, ending her fit in a messy hiccup.

Still choking on stifled laughter, Toph sloppily changed the subject. "So, about that plan of yours, maybe we could run off and join a group of nomads! I know a guy! He's name's Ohev and…"

"No! No nomads!" the warrior practically yelled, allowing his friend to snatch the bottle from his grasp during this slight distraction. "All they do is sing and dance and annoy the crap outta people."

She shrugged. "Party-pooper."

"Besides, we don't need to run far. I'm a master of disguise remember? Although, we'll probably have to come up with a more Earthkingdom-y kind of name; I don't think Wang Fire's gonna cut it…"

Toph just smiled and tossed him back the bottle with a slight yawn. "Why can't we just be pirates…?"

Ignoring her suggestion, Sokka continued to ponder their new identities as he swallowed a bit more of the wine, disappointed to feel that it was already feeling much lighter than before. Suddenly he brightened. "Stone! I'll be Li Stone!" He handed her back the bottle and clapped his hands together excitedly. "Yeah…" the warrior mused, "I like that…Li Stone…sounds sexy."

She frowned. "What about me?"

"And you'll be my wife, Jem Stone!" he replied, his excitement growing as he suddenly grasped her by the shoulders and shook her wildly.

Toph burped, the action making her feel a bit uneasy. Ignoring it however, she managed to nod in response. "I like it," she simply said, taking another sip of wine, but rather savoring it than gulping it down like before. "I like that idea a lot."

"Then it's settled! It will Li and Jem Stone from now on; Sokka and Toph Bei Fong are no more!"

Her movement's slowing considerably, the girl on his lap just nodded again. "Hey Sokka…?" she murmured against his chest as she allowed herself to lean into him. Without noticing, Toph let her hand holding the bottle limp to the floor. "What _is_ your last name anyway?"

He attempted looking down at her. "Huh? Oh well it's…"

But before he could finish, a sudden rumbling struck the cave. Both friends perked up in alert and Toph raised a hand to press into the rock behind him. "What is it?" he asked, rubbing at his eyes as a large amount of dirt shook off the ceiling and coated the two of them.

"I think someone's coming!"

Then, speak of the devil, the far wall of the cavern came tumbling down, revealing a bright light that Sokka had to squint though after so long in the darkness. Stepping though it slowly as the dust settled, a figure appeared blurred and fuzzy in the tribesman's vision. Soon two others also stalked into view, one slightly shorter and more feminine appearing and the other far taller than either of them.

Toph held her breath. "Damn," she muttered, "we forgot twinkle-toes can Earthbend…"

He groaned. "We are so dead…"

* * *

**How come in every one of our stories we end up pissing off Katara and Zuko?**


	23. 77 Slur

**Disclaimer monster holds up sign: "They don't own ATLA"**

**RubyT's sign: "Call me Sokka!"**

**Marla hits her over the head, then holds up sign: "Beware of stupid fangirl"**

**RubyT- "Ouch..."**

* * *

Kicking up grains of tiny rock as he stumbled across the sandy grounds of Ember Island, Sokka grunted as he struggled under the weight of his own luggage. In retrospect, perhaps it would've been a better idea to hire someone to give him a hand with at least _some_ of the copious amount of bags he currently was dragging across the beach; a couple of which he was forced to carry along in his teeth. That, or he should've sent for his stuff later, taking time to settle into Zuko's beach house beforehand, rather than bring _everything_ he owned along in one trip.

Nearly hopping up the steps, he lowered one weighted down hand to fish into his pocket for the key, almost unable to lift his arm back up to insert it into the door. Much to his surprise however, the building was unlocked, and the door swung open easily without it.

'_That's strange…'_ the man thought, hobbling though the open doorway. Once inside, he spat out the bag in his mouth, letting it tumble to the floor and ignoring the uneasy sound of glass shattering from within it. He also dropped the majority of the other bags, not bothering to close the front door as he limped over towards the couch.

The Firelord's beach house, once abandoned, had recently been refurbished by decree of Firelord Zuko. It was to be used as a vacation home by any former members of 'team avatar' allowed permission at the time. Of course, it still hardly remained in use, what with everybody's busy schedules after the war. Sokka, after borrowing a key from Zuko with the alleged intention of staying 'a week tops' instead gazed upon what was to be his home until further notice…or at least until Suki finally came to her senses and took him back.

Without looking, he tossed the remainder of his bags onto the couch from behind. The warrior sighed, stretching out his aching limbs when suddenly he heard a faint noise.

"Ouch!"

Instinctively reaching for the handle of his sword, Sokka turned to face whatever unseen force he had disturbed. There, sprawled out on the couch underneath his belongings, a familiar face lay giggling.

"…Toph?"

Opening a pair of mint green eyes, the young bender stopped laughing and brushed away a few strands of black hair from her cheeks. "Who's tha?" she stumbled with the words, reaching up blindly with her left hand.

"Toph what are you doing here?"

Without warning, her fingers groped at the front of his shirt, nearly pulling him off his feet as she used Sokka as leverage to sit herself up. Upon moving, his bags flopped off of her and onto the floor, producing a low thud.

The girl perked up her head at the noise. "Wha wus that?" she whispered dramatically, the faint smell of whiskey on her breath as she yanked his face down to her level.

Sokka brushed her hand away and straightened up. "Are you drunk?" he asked in a surprised tone, watching as she rubbed sloppily at her face and eyes. Toph shook her head, grinning as she brought both feet to the floor. Luckily, it had long been since replaced with stone, for obvious reasons.

"Sokka!" she finally recognized, wasting no time to leap up over the back of the couch and attack him with a massive hug. In consequence, they both tumbled back onto the floor; him landing harshly onto his back with her giggling and laughing on top as she fell safely against his chest. "I miss you…"

He groaned, rubbing the back of his skull as little stars danced in front of his eyes. "Toph…" he grunted.

"Yeah?"

"Get off."

Reluctantly the girl obliged, standing up only to stumble backwards into a small table and accidently knock off an oil lamp that had been stationed there. Sokka wheezed in a steady breath, his eyes squeezed tight as he listened to the simultaneous sounds of Toph's giggling accompanied by the crashing of broken glass.

After another second of processing, he sat up and opened his eyes to watch his old friend plop back down onto the couch with a crocked grin. "Okay…" he began as he rose off the floor, a headache already in the works. "Wha…I mean, why…uh…how…?" He shook his head to momentarily clear his mind, deciding quickly which question to ask first. "Toph, why are you here?"

"Whaddaya mean?" she smiled up at him (or more accurately, at the picture frame on the wall slightly to his left).

Sokka groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. He quickly studied the inebriated girl currently bouncing on the couch, from her ratted, unwashed hair, to her wrinkled and disheveled clothing. For a second he almost didn't recognize her. "What are you doing here in Zuko's beach house?" the warrior clarified impatiently, clearly not in the mood to be dealing with this kind of thing.

For whatever reason, he watched her skin transform from flush pink, to sickly pale as her smile faded from view. The girl immediately stopped bouncing. "I…I don know…" her voice answered weakly, followed by a low groan. Without warning, Toph suddenly pitched forward in her seat and clutched at her stomach.

Catching this, Sokka quickly leapt into action. "Hang on!" he shouted, dashing into the kitchen to search for a bucket. Having other ideas, however, she instead snatched up one of his bags off the floor nearby and stuck in her face. He burst back into the room just in time see her retch onto his possessions. "Oh, Toph, no!" he cried, dropping the wooden bucket with a clatter and running over to her.

When she had finished, the earthbender just tossed the spoiled bag aside and curled into a ball on the couch with her eyes closed. He stepped around carefully, scrunching his nose as an unpleasant smell wafted from what was once, his favorite bag. Toph just moaned. "I…I don feel tha god…" she mumbled.

Sokka slapped his forehead and groaned. "Okay, obviously I'm not going to get any answers from you today. Spirits Toph, it's the middle of the afternoon!"

She flashed him a weak smile. "Nah in the eathkindom it isn'."

"…I'm not even gonna try to guess what you just said."

Toph, face growing paler if that was even possible, made a grab for the bag as another heave racked her body. This time, however, he snatched up the bucket off the floor and handed it to her instead, instinctively pulling the hair off her shoulders and holding it back as she sat up and vomited. "…thanks…" her voice mumbled after a minute, face still rested in the mouth of the bucket.

"Don't mention it," he replied softly. "Maybe you should try sleeping some of this off."

She raised her head and nodded, wiping her mouth off on the front of her green tunic. "Buh can I kep the bucket? Is reely nice…"

Sokka shrugged as he helped her to her feet. "Better that then my bag…" She snickered slightly at his comment, swaying a bit as she clutched onto her new inanimate friend with both hands. The boy pouted, "It's not funny." In response, Toph just giggled a bit louder, and despite it all, the warrior couldn't help but smile.

Gently, Sokka led her back towards the room he had assumed was where she'd been staying, given the current state of distress it now was in. For whatever reason, as he glanced around, he saw picture frames of all shapes and sizes that had once been nailed to the wall; now laying crushed and scattered on the ground below. Curtains looked as if they had been torn apart and an entire table lay upside down. All and all, it appeared as if a riot had come and went sometime during her stay.

"_What happened here?"_ he thought to himself. Quickly he closed the door on the mess and pushed her further down the hallway until coming upon a far cleaner residence. There, he gently nudged her along and helped her into the bed; even going as far as to tuck her in. She yawned and scratched at her eyelids, and for that minute, even as a wasted sixteen year old girl with tangled hair and stained clothing, he had to admit she looked adorable.

"Thans again Sohka…" the young bender mumbled as he pulled the sheets up to her chin, bucket still tucked in the crock of her arm.

"Yeah, well…your welcome I guess. Try to get some sleep okay?" he replied, picking something out of her hair and cringing slightly with disgust.

She nodded her head and smiled. "M'kay…I _hmm hmm_" she mumbled as her eyelids fluttered closed. Whatever she had said, and Sokka didn't even bother attempting to piece it back together, the girl had uttered it slowly and carefully, as if trying to give it some kind of deep meaning.

He stood there for a moment longer, straightening as her breathing slowed. After another minute, Toph fell into a doze, and her friend carefully leaned over and slipped the bucket from her grasp before turning to leave.

For just a second at the doorway, Sokka stopped and turned back one last time to glance about, his eyes darting across the sunlit bedroom before resting on the girl laying quietly in bed. She looked so peaceful and…tiny. It was hard to believe that she had not only attacked him seconds earlier, but had singlehandedly caused a considerable amount of damage to something Zuko had spent weeks restoring.

Snickering for a second at the thought, the tribesman closed the door softly and walked back towards the front of the house to begin his own unpacking.

* * *

Hours later, Toph yawned and rubbed at her face, stretching both arms into the air as she sat up. Immediately however, she regretted this action the second she felt the effects of the day before rack her brain. "Ugh…" the girl moaned, falling back into the bed and pulling the blanks up over her pounding head. For a second all she could focus on was the pain. "…I'm never going to drink again…" she promised herself softly.

It was about another thirty minutes before the earthbender finally found the strength to get out of bed, pulling herself up slowly and planting both feet against the cool, stone floors. Once she made the contact, however, Toph froze. Her heart began to pound in her ears. _"There's someone in the house…"_

Ignoring her massive migraine and strong urge to vomit, the young bender leapt to her feet and began stumbling for the door. _"They're in the kitchen"_ she reasoned, her mind shifting into defensive mode. With all the caution in the world, she pulled open the wooden door and began stalking her way down the hallway, blind eyes narrowed and arms at the ready.

Whoever it was, they were currently scrubbing something in a pot of water, muttering bitterly to themselves the whole time. Obviously this person didn't care too much about being caught. Toph racked her brain for answers, but as the person's figure was partially obscured by an old, wooden chair she couldn't recognize them.

Once in fair range, she snapped the legs of the chair with a small pillar of stone and leapt into the room just in time to hear the intruder scream as they collapsed to the ground, knocking the bowl of water and whatever they had been scrubbing right down with them.

"Okay lady, what are you doing in my house?" Toph demanded, getting into her horse stance.

"Ugh…who are you calling a lady?" a familiar voice sputtered from the floor in sharp contrast to the high-pitched shriek she had just heard.

The young bender cocked her head. "Sokka?

He didn't bother to answer, instead just sitting up and rubbing the side of his head, where a headache had long since made its home. "For the record, that's the second time today you've attacked me today," the warrior complained, now scrambling to his feet.

Toph scratched her head, slowly making her way deeper into the kitchen, but still too frozen by surprise to feel safe. "What are you –"

"I was about to ask you the same thing. Do you wanna tell me why you were here drunk at three o'clock in the afternoon?" he interrupted, crossing his arms as he stared back at her.

Toph rubbed her neck nervously, now all too aware of the symptoms of her hangover currently pounding away at her unfortunate brain. "Well…it seemed like a good idea at the time…What are _you_ doing here anyway?"

He scooted out another chair and sat down at the table, motioning to her to do the same despite the fact that, being blind, Toph could not actually see this. "_I_ have permission. What about you? I thought you were supposed to be living with your parents."

She shrugged. "Well, I moved out. I've been living here for about…six months now."

His jaw nearly dropped. "_Six months_? No wonder nobody could ever get a hold of you; you're too busy running around here unsupervised, getting drunk and puking in people's travel bags!" Here Sokka motioned towards the spilled bowl of water across the floor he had apparently been using to clean said object. "Obviously you can't handle living out on your own."

"Hey!" the girl protested, stomping a foot for emphasis, "I'm doing just find out on my own!"

He raised a brow. "Really? Have you seen your bedroom lately?" In a deadpan reaction to this, Toph waved a hand in front of her face and frowned. Sokka rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Well thanks for you concern _mom_, but isn't that Katara's job?"

To her surprise, he didn't argue, but instead thought about it for a second, then smirked suspiciously. "That's a good idea Toph. Maybe I'll just let Katara handle this…"

Her face dropped. "You wouldn't…"

Sokka smiled wider and leaned back smugly in his seat. "I would."

With a defeated groan, the young earthbender reluctantly shuffled closer and pulled out a chair across from him, letting it screech across the floor before plopping down into it solemnly. "Okay…maybe things have gotten a little out of control…" she admitted cautiously, running a hand though her raven hair, some of which remained plastered to her forehead.

"Well if that isn't the understatement of the year. I found a badger-frog in the bathroom!" he sat up for emphasis. "Seriously, what have you been doing here?"

She bit her lip gently. "Uh…well…" Brief flashbacks of the recent events she could still remember passed before her eyes, and Toph hesitated for a minute as she decided which were safe enough to admit to.

Finally, much to the girl's relief, Sokka instead changed his mind and shook his head erratically. "Never mind, I don't even want to know!" he almost shouted in a near-panicked tone of voice.

Toph closed her eyes and began to squeeze her head between both hands, ignoring the I-told-you-so look she didn't need to see to know existed on her friend's face. "Well, what are _you_ doing here? Aren't you supposed to back in Kyoshi with fan-girl?" she muttered.

At the mention of his girlfriend(?)'s name, Sokka froze, his heart rate spiking a bit, much to his friend's surprise. "Uh…" he started lamely, sounding almost embarrassed. "We're going though some…stuff right now."

"She dumped you didn't she?" A small smirk marked her features, despite the girl's attempts at masking it from him.

"No!" he shouted defensively. Toph smirked wider and tilted her head up this time to let him see. "Oh shut up!"

She snickered and pushed back a strand of hair from her face. "And now you're here. Well sorry to burst your bubble there snoozles but this place is taken. Go rent yourself a condo or something."

"Oh no you don't. I'm staying right here before you kill yourself."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah, thanks but no thanks. I'm sixteen now, and I can handle myself just fine."

Suddenly a loud crashing sound echoed from down the hall, followed by a low ribbit that only Toph, with her heightened sense of hearing, could pinpoint as the aforementioned badger-frog that apparently still resided in the bathroom there. "Clearly," Sokka deadpanned, silently thanking the universe for being on his side this time.

Groaning and burying her face in her hands, she cursed said universe out loud before raising her head and admitting defeat in her own way. "Okay…since fan-girl kicked you out on your ass, I guess you can mooch off me for a while…Just stay out of my way alright?"

"Oh thank you _so_ much, Toph for your hospitality. Really, I feel like I'm just _drowning_ in all the love," he shot back, voice dripping with sarcasm. They both glared at each other for a moment; blood-shot, pale eyes, by some miracle, actually meeting his blue ones with full intensity. However, after a second, Sokka softened. "Come on. Let me make you some tea…" he sighed, rising from his seat and turning towards the cabinets in search of a tea pot.

"Yeah…sounds good…" she mumbled without enthusiasm, slapping her head down onto the wooden table.

Looking back, he smiled. Toph looked even worse than before, but for whatever reason he still didn't mind it. It was weird how much she'd grown in just the last few years, but strangely, it just made himself feel that much younger. "You know back in Kyoshi, they say I make the best tea on the island," he bragged. "It's not as good as Iroh's of course, but nonetheless, you are defiantly going to love me for it."

The girl moaned something sharp in response, but he just shrugged and ignored it, a grin still plastered on his face. Sokka worked in silence as he pulled out a small porcelain tea pot and set to work starting the fire. Once the pot had come to a boil and the tea had been brewed, he proudly took his place back across from his unmoving friend and poured them each a cup.

"There you go!" he encouraged, setting the pot down gently and taking a sip of his own 'masterpiece'. Toph barely stirred, lifting her head just enough so that she could take a sip without spilling. Afterwards, she just moaned and dropped her head back down, face pressed against the wood and hair spilling across the table.

Sokka sighed contently and sat his own drink back down. "Love me yet?" he asked, still grinning to help lighten the mood.

"Oh yeah," she mumbled sarcastically. "I _hmm hmm_ tons."

He raised a brow, something in her gumbled words almost sounding familiar. "What was that?"

Toph grunted and rolled her head to the side with a frown. "I said, 'I love you tons, meathead,'" she repeated bitterly. "And for the record, that's called sarcasm."

"Oh…" he replied curtly. _"For a second there, it almost sounded like what she said last night…"_ his mind wondered. "Hey Toph, after you done with your tea what do you say you help me wrangle that toad out of the bathroom? Then you can take a quick bath and we can get to work on that bedroom. Sound good?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Go to hell."

He frowned. _"No, I must be hearing things…"_

_

* * *

_

**So there you go! Prompt 77, done!**

**Oh, and sorry for the wait. We've been struggling with some killer writers block lately so you'll have to excuse us.**


	24. 38 Tolerance

**Hello beloved Tokkaneers! We're back with #38, Tolerance! Now for the record, we realize that this is probably a clique in the Tokka world by now, but we're sticking by it anyway. After all, we all know Toph would _hate_ the South Pole. Sorry for the angst and stuff, but hey, not every story can involve getting drunk or punching somebody in the face (although looking back on the last few chapters it almost seems that way...)**

**Disclaimer monster says hi. He also says that he loves you all for your wonderful reviews, because you see children: disclaimer monster feeds off of those reviews. They keep him big and strong. And when he gets enough reviews (lets say 100) he'll finally have enough power to take over the world. However, in this new world order, all those who review and/or favorite our stories will be immune from harm, and even better, may even get control of some lesser countries! So yay!**

**Oh, and he also says that we don't own ATLA...**

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Making his way across the frozen landscape of his home, Sokka clutched tightly at his hood as the blizzard winds whistled throughout the town. "Damn weather…" he mumbled, gazing around at the boarded up windows and doorways of his neighbors as smoke from every chimney curled out into the snow-speckled sky. At least it would be warm inside, snuggled up to his wife, drinking hot tea and teasing each other good-naturedly. The idea warmed his heart, giving him the strength to stomp though the deep snowy roadways.

However, the second he burst through the front door, a disturbing sight met his eyes. There nestled on the floor, packed and ready to go, sat all of Toph's belongings. He gingerly kicked one aside, his expression falling as she appeared in the hallway with the last of her bags slung under one parka-covered arm. The woman's pale cheeks and sea foam eyes barely peeked out from under the mounds of blue-dyed animal hides and white fur, but her intension was clearly written across her face. She was leaving.

"Toph…what are you doing?" he started, sidestepping her belongings and closing the front door behind him.

The earthbender didn't flinch, and Sokka noted how she still hadn't put on her boots yet, leaving her feet free to watch him through the stone floors of their home. "I'm going back to Gaoling," she stated bluntly. "I can't stay here any longer."

He bit his lip. Toph had been talking about this a lot recently, but this was the first time she had actually gone so far as to pack up her things. "Come on Toph…lets just sit down for a moment and talk about this…"

The woman shook her head. "No Sokka, I mean it this time. I can't live like this anymore." Her voice was dark and low yet somehow bland and emotionless, as if she had practiced this moment over and over again in her mind. "I'm going back home where I can see."

"Where you can…but you can see now! We spent weeks putting these floors in!" he protested, slowly making his way closer to where she stood. Once they met, he slipped the hood off her head and peered down at her face.

She tried to appear unfazed, but her calm demeanor was slipping. "So what am I supposed to do? Spend my life trapped in this house? It's like my childhood all over again! At least back with my parents it wasn't cold!" As if to mark her statement, a draft blew throughout the house to the sound of the howling winds outside. Despite still wearing her coat, his wife shivered violently against it.

Sokka made to brush the bangs from her pink flushed cheeks, but she just slapped his hand away. "Come on Toph. You know I can't leave now. With my dad sick and Katara with Aang there's no one else to watch over the tribe." This time he motioned to rest a hand on her shoulder, but was rebuffed a second time. "You'll get used to it," he offered. "And hey, I'm trying the best I can. Just look at these floors! Nobody else in the entire South Pole has floors like these!"

She scoffed. "You and your damn floors…"

"Please Toph…How about you go sit down and I'll make us a pot of tea huh? Does that sound good?"

The women straightened her posture, trying her best to remain strong. "No. I'm leaving. You can't keep me locked up in here for the rest of my life."

He stopped, scratching at the scalp under his wolf's tail as if confused. "I'm not trying to keep you locked up. Toph, if you want to go outside all you have to do is walk out the front door."

She crossed her arms, deepening her frown. "And freeze to death? No thank you. Besides, I'm completely blind out there, you know that," she shot back, gripping the strap on her shoulder a bit tighter as if to show her determination. Another howl of wind echoed from outside and both of them shivered, cursing at nothing in particular.

The tribesman shrugged. "There, see? I'm not forcing you to stay in here, it's just more appropriate in your…uh…condition," he explained delicately.

At the word 'condition' his wife slumped, all former strength abandoning her posture. Sokka gingerly wrapped an arm across her shoulders and brushed the hair from her face with a gloved hand. "I'm sorry Toph, but things'll get better. Just wait and see."

For a moment she said nothing, her resolve crumbling enough to allow him to rest his chin atop her head and pull her tighter into a hug. Sensing this, Sokka decided it was safe to try and change the mood with some hopeful words. "Hey, how about when the weather lets up we go back and visit everybody? We'll go see Aang and Katara, then maybe swing by the Firenation and check in on Zuko and Mai, maybe get some tea in Ba Sing Se, see how Iroh's doing. Yeah! That sounds like just the trip you need!"

Toph slumped even further. "…you said that last year…" she muttered bitterly.

He sighed and nuzzled her closer. "…I know…but this time I mean it okay? Just as soon as my dad gets better and he can take over being chief again."

Silence.

"…he's not getting better Sokka…"

Her blunt honesty made him stiffen. A lump formed in the back his throat, and his grip on her slackened. "…don't say that Toph…" he murmured in a low tone, eyes narrowing as he continued to stare at the wall behind her.

She took this opportunity to push him away, instead lifting her hands up to readjust the strap on her shoulder still holding up her green travel bag. "It's true. He's not getting better, and you're going to have to be chief, and if I don't leave now I'll be stuck here forever, trapped in this house like some useless housewife!" she couldn't help but rant, now gripping the bag so tightly her knuckles were beginning to turn white as she nervously thumbed the straps. The earthbender quickly tilted her head away from him and closed her eyes.

"What?" Sokka, surprised by her outburst, quickly stumbled for the right words. "That's…that's…you're…how could you think…?"

"Open your eyes idiot, that's what happens here!" she clarified, vaguely motioning to the village with her arms. "All the other women do here is cook and pop out babies! It'd be different if I could at least earthbend, but I can't even do that anymore! Congratulations Sokka, you've made me just as useless as everybody else here in this frozen hell!"

"Now hold on," he stopped her, fighting to keep a level head. "When have I _ever_ said you had to be like them? I don't make you cook, I don't ask you to clean, I don't even want kids! All I want is for you to be happy here with me while I straighten some things out." She said nothing, giving them each time to calm themselves before he went on. "This is my home, Toph; it's who I am. I don't keep you here because I want to control you, I keep you here because I love you and I want to be with you. Why can't you just accept that?"

Toph closed her unseeing eyes, small tears forming in the corners that she scrubbed at fiercely with a single gloved hand. "…I love you too…but…"

He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked down at her with a pair of concerned, blue eyes. "Toph…just give me the bag," Sokka stretched out the palm of his opposite hand towards her and waited patiently.

Instinctively she gripped it tighter and leaned away from him, eyes widening like a frightened child. "No. I've made my decision. I-I just can't…"

"Toph," he repeated, softer this time, "Just give me the bag…"

She shook her head and bit her lip. "I'm not…I hate…I'm…leaving…" the words escaped her lips in a jumbled mess, and they both know that it was over. It was clear who had won.

"Come on Toph…just hand it over…"

With a defeated sigh, the young bender finally gave in; ignoring his request and instead just dropping it and letting it thud soundlessly to the floor. Tears were streaming down her cheeks but as much as she hated herself for it, Toph just couldn't bring herself to wipe them away as she was suddenly surrounded by a warm embrace. She sniffed against his chest and listened to the soft thumping of his heart barely audible through his parka. Sokka didn't say anymore, but gently stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"_That was close…"_ the thought chilled him, even more so than the damned gust of wind interrupting their moment and causing them to squeeze each other closer for warmth. "Come on…" he said softly against her ear. "I'll light us fire." Toph nodded, reluctantly letting him go.

Feeling him step back, heart still pounding uncomfortably fast from the sudden scare, she sighed and closed her pale eyes; posture slumped and defeated more than ever.

Yes, she hated the South Pole and everything living there meant for her. She hated being cold and feeling useless and alone and weak. More than anything Toph wanted to go home, back to where grass could tickle her bare feet and the wind wasn't nearly so hateful. But like it or not, she just couldn't leave him.

And as she slipped off her parka and took a seat on whatever furs lined the floor near the fire pit, feeling him finally join her after a small flame had sparked to life and embrace her tight as if she might evaporate at any moment, Toph knew that she would hate this man more than anything in the world if only she didn't love him so damned much.

* * *

**There you go. Short chapter, we know, but sometimes less is more. Hope you all liked it. At least its better than some of our stories, right?**


	25. 07 Taste

**Bum Bum Bum Bum! We're back ladies and gentlemen! Did you miss us?**

**Here's our story for the prompt taste. Now admittedly something about this story seems a little...off. Not necessarily bad, just different. The writing style seems different in this one. Plus the ending just kind of drops out of nowhere. Not our best work, but overall its intresting. Yeah, we probably should keep it overnight to proofread it a little more, but we really don't want to and we feel all bad for the super long wait we put you all through so here it is in all its (crappy) glory.**

**Disclaimer monster keeps telling us that we don't own ATLA. Which is probably a good thing. Marla would probably get bored and kill off Haru for no reason, then RubyT would start pairing Sokka up with pretty much every character in the show and it would just be this tragic mess of a situation. Yeah...not pretty...**

**Anyway, ON WITH THE SHOW!**

* * *

Her lips met his and she nearly gagged. Sokka tasted of blood; all copper and metallic-like. He didn't respond like he normally would either, instead his mouth hung limp like a dead fish. Toph cringed again as she ran a hand down the side of his cheek and felt the battered flesh under the tips of her fingers. But his heart was still beating and his breathing had steadied, so that was enough for her.

Spirits he was an moron; wandering around at night with only his boomerang, looking for her as if _she_ was the one needing protection. Republic City wasn't exactly the safe haven the Avatar had intended it to be. All nations were supposed to live in peace with each other here, but obviously the fair citizens of this city didn't get the memo. Water Nation hated Fire Nation who hated Earth Nation who hated Water Nation, and so on and so forth. Not to mention those who didn't affiliate themselves with any nation, instead calling themselves 'anti-benders' and running around attacking anybody who looked the least bit patriotic about anywhere that wasn't 100% Republic City.

So yes, Sokka was an idiot. _He didn't even take his sword with him for spirits sake!_ But all and all, he was Toph's idiot; and whatever thugs had dumped him here weren't about to get away with it. She'd see to that personally, even if it took her all year. Her only hope was that this wasn't an Earth Nation attack, because, well, that would defiantly complicate things for her in the long run.

Finally he stirred, regaining consciousness slowly but surely. "…Toph? Is that you?"

She blinked a couple unsightly tears from her eyes and continued to ghost her fingers along the side of his face. "Yeah…" was all she could manage to mutter. _Spirits his injuries felt bad. If it didn't seem so counterproductive, she'd probably try beating some sense into this jerk._

Sokka peeled open a black eye and gazed up at her with a slight grin. "You're so pretty when you're pulling me out of a sewer…" he almost chuckled.

Her brows crashed together and she almost dropped his head back onto the street. If that was his idea of a joke, then maybe she _should_ try pounding some knowledge through his thick skull. That, or at least a decent sense of humor. "Quit flirting. It's in bad taste, even for you."

He smiled weakly up at her, ignoring the pain radiating from parts of his body he didn't even know he had. "And when have you ever cared about 'bad taste'? Things must really look bad if _you're_ acting like the responsible one."

Another beat passed, where Toph just rolled her unseeing eyes and felt down one of his arms in search of any type of structural damage there. She had already guessed he'd received a couple of cracked ribs and some heavy bruising around the face, but hopefully there wouldn't be much wrong with his limbs. He already had that bum leg from that battle on the airships so many years ago to contend with, and she knew he didn't need any more problems.

With his free arm, Sokka reached up and ran a hand through his loose hair, disappointed to find that it had came untied sometime during the struggle. Though he knew now was no time to gripe about fashion, he really did like himself better with his hair up when in public. Especially now that his vision was starting to clear and he could catch the surprised faces of a few rubberneckers as they passed by the two of them lying in the filthy city alleyway.

Then Toph's soft fingers started to poke under his shirt and suddenly he couldn't care less _what_ he looked like. Before he could get out a single syllable, however, she just smacked him gently over the head and frowned, smooth pink lips folding down _and was that blood across her mouth?_

"I'm checking your ribs a little closer, don't make it perverted. I think those bastards broke something."

"Try a _couple_ somethings," he grumbled automatically, spitting out a piece of her raven hair as it draped over them both and attacked his face without mercy. "Are you okay? Your mouth…"

She nodded. "You weren't breathing, so I tried that mouth to mouth thing. You taste like sewer water and death by the way…and oddly enough, whale jerky?"

"Some things never change…"

Finally, he saw the earthbender crack a smile. Her silver-green eyes flickered slightly and although he knew full well of her limitations, Sokka could've sworn she was looking directly at him. Without warning, his breath caught in his throat as his eyes strayed lower, back down to those thin, pink lips now curved slightly upward in mild amusement. He hadn't felt those lips against his own in far too long, and now, the first time in nearly a year of seeing her _every day_ he might've had the chance to, he just had to be unconscious during it.

Damn universe.

"You think you can get up?" she finally asked, smile fading all too fast for his liking. Toph quickly batted away another clump of her hair as it fell down and slapped him in the face. He never understood why she'd stopped putting up her hair, all it ever seemed to do was get in the way and end up choking him one way or another. But to be fair, Sokka never did have the best of luck with inanimate objects.

He nodded and tried his best to obey, grunting under the strain. Oh yeah, something was _defiantly_ broken down there. All it took was less than a minute of attempting to sit up on his elbows before the warrior finally just plopped back down and groaned. Shit. When had it gotten so _cold_?

Sokka glanced across the both of them for a moment. _Oh yeah, wet with sewer water. Middle of February. Republic City. Not exactly a day at the Firelord's beach house._

Toph, however, didn't seem to mind the cold as there were more important issues at hand. They were in the anti-bender district, and clearly neither of them belonged there. She needed a way to get him to safety without blowing their cover, or else she'd have one of those damn anti-bender hissy fits to deal with later.

And by hissy fit, she meant full fledged riot with the possibility of aggravating an already massive gang war between nationalities.

She sighed. "Come on Snoozles, you're the plan guy. How are we supposed to get you to a hospital that won't try to kill you?"

Sokka just blinked, suddenly feeling lightheaded and cold and in pain and just plain sick. Yep, now that shock and unconsciousness had worn off, everything was suddenly attacking his senses all at once. Not to mention the panic. Even as a full grown adult, the warrior still couldn't forget to panic.

_What if I die? Do I have a fever? That can't be good! I need to talk to Katara first! Didn't she just have another kid? Shit, I must be the worst uncle in the history of uncles. I didn't even answer Zuko's letter! He owes me money damn it! I hope Hawky III will be okay without me. Why is it so fucking cold? I must not be as connected to my roots as I thought. When was the last time I visited Dad? Shit, not only am I a bad uncle, but a terrible son. What must Toph think of me? A loser that's what. I'm a loser, and I'm gonna die a loser and all I ever wanted to do was protect her, but that was really stupid of me because honestly, when has Toph ever needed protecting? FUCK IT IS COLD!_

"Hey meathead, are you listening to me?" a voice suddenly sliced through the fog of unwelcomed and completely random thoughts, much to his delight. The beaten warrior's eyes refocused to find Toph's face right up against his in what would be, with anyone else, a severely creepy invasion of his personal bubble. But of course since it was Toph it was okay.

Maybe it was the concussion clouding any useful and possibly life-saving thoughts from his brain by any means necessary, but for whatever reason Sokka's mind went blank and all he could see was a very beautiful woman staring down at him. _What had gone wrong? He thought she loved him. Why did they have to stay 'just friends'? Maybe he __**was**__ a loser…_

"Toph, do you think I'm a loser?"

Clearly the question had caught her off guard, as she suddenly pulled her face up and flashed him down a puzzled look. "What are you talking about? You're not delirious are you? Because Katara said –"

Sokka shook his head, interrupting her before he had time to hear whatever medical jargon was about to spill out of her mouth. "No, I was just wondering what you thought of me. You know…do you think I'm a complete loser?"

This time she sat back on her knees, allowing him room to try sitting up again with a bit more success than before. "I don't see how that's relevant to you dying right now, but if it makes you feel better than, no. I don't think you're a loser."

"Do you actually mean that, or are you just being nice?"

"Have I ever lied to you just to 'be nice'?"

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Good point." Sokka hesitated for a minute longer, weighing the pros and cons of asking what was probably the least appropriate question for him to ask at a time like this (besides, you know, something absurdly dirty) before finally just going with it and hoping for the best.

"Why did you dump me?"

If Toph had been caught off guard before, that was nothing compared to this. Her mouth hung open for a moment and she blinked once or twice before releasing an intelligent, "…wha?" How was _this_ the time to talk about personal issues that happened almost a _year_ ago? Just what had been going through that water tribe idiot's head?

But Sokka didn't repeat himself; instead he just kept staring as he braced himself for whatever horrible response might tumble out from between those soft, attractive lips. _Thirteen years. Thirteen years since he'd first seen her._ He suddenly remembered for no particular reason._ Damn, we are getting old._

"Well…uh…Sokka we really need to get you to a hospital. You're bleeding you know."

"Am I?" he shrugged and glanced down. Sure enough, there was a tiny puddle of blood leaking from…well, somewhere. He wasn't entirely sure where from though. "Huh. Would you look at that…But you still haven't answered my question."

Her seafoam eyes glanced nervously away from the sound of his voice. "I…I guess…I guess I was just…" Sokka waited patiently for her to continue, tilting his head to try and catch the expression hiding behind her black bangs. "…scared…"

Well that certainly wasn't what he was expecting. He thought for sure Toph would try and find some way to blame it on him, just like every woman (Toph usually included) always seemed to do about _everything_. To be fair, it usually was his fault, and if it wasn't, he usually assumed it was his fault anyway. But this was certainly not making any type of sense.

"What do you mean 'scared'?"

She ducked her head lower. "It's stupid. Just forget about it okay? We're friends. I'm happy. Now let's go save your life before you die and I have to explain to Sugarqueen why I wasn't taking care of you better."

"Toph…" his voice almost made her cringe; it was soft and almost…hurt? She tilted up her face at the word and he stared into those glistening, pale eyes. "I know this is bad timing, but I'm not leaving this spot until you tell me."

Forgetting her previous decision not to hurt him, she suddenly slapped him across the face and scowled. Sokka grasped his cheek desperately after the brief impact and winced. "Ow, ah, ouch, shit! Damn it Toph, what was that for?" he hissed, eyes squeezed tight against the painful sting of his already abused face.

"You were hysterical," she explained, not bothering to even attempt making up a logical excuse for her sudden attack. "Now focus. Where is the nearest hospital and how do I get you there without earthbending?"

"Hysterical my ass!" Sokka spat, still obviously offended by her striking him. "This is important! Besides, the sooner you answer my question, the sooner you can shove me in that cart over there and wheel me down to Ripple Boulevard in the Water Nation district."

Without speaking, Toph leapt to her feet and felt around for whatever wooden cart he had been pointing to. He slapped his forehead, realizing that telling her his entire plan had indeed been counterproductive in his goal to weasel some answers out of her. Why all this had suddenly become priority number one to him at the moment, he still couldn't say. After all, dying would be counterproductive for _everything_.

As gentle as the woman could manage, which wasn't much, Toph tucked her arms under his armpits and hoisted him up the best she could. With a loud grunt, Sokka was amazed to find that for being so much shorter than him, she somehow had defied the laws of physics and gravity long enough to toss his beaten down body into the old cart like a sack of potatoes. He hissed with more pain, this time clutching his knee as it slammed up against the side of his makeshift stretcher and sent a jolt of pain to radiate across his entire figure.

Next thing he knew, she was pushing him back into the main streets, grunting and biting her lip the entire time under the strain of his weight. For a moment he almost had the audacity to accuse her of calling him fat, before he remembered that she still hadn't answered his question.

"So…are you gonna tell me why or not?"

Toph jerked her head back as she spat out a mouthful of her own hair. _At least he knew he wasn't the only one it was trying to smother to death._ "Shut up," she grunted, her pale shoulders almost glowing in the semi-darkness of early morning in the city. Even after years living in the hard-edged lower districts of Republic City, she would always retain that almost unnatural paleness of skin tone those born into nobility always possessed. That, and the way she ate with chop sticks – so sophisticated and refined – were probably the only two indicators of her birthright. There might have been more, but those were about the only two Sokka was observant enough to catch.

_There I go rambling again…_

"If you don't talk, then I'll just go make myself fall unconscious again. Good luck carrying me into the hospital without my help."

She raised a brow as she continued to strain, starting to become suspicious of how unnaturally difficult the task was for her. "Like how helpful you were getting you in here? What's wrong with this thing anyway?"

Sokka almost smiled. "You forgot to lift the brakes…" he admitted, trying his best not to sound smug.

"Oh…" the woman stopped pushing, suddenly embarrassed by her small display of ignorance. "Well who puts brakes on a cart anyway?"

"Those jerks…" he chimed in, now just mocking the defensiveness of her own ego. For a second, Sokka feared she might hit him again as she drew closer, only to be relieved as she instead ducked down below to presumably lift the breaks on the cart's wheels.

After that, the cart glided effortlessly across the ground as they turned a corner and headed out of the anti-bender district without harm. It was another couple of minutes of silence, before Toph was suddenly the one to break it with another quick complaint.

"Blah! It's gonna take weeks of scrubbing to get this sewer water taste out of my mouth! You owe me for this you know. You owe me _big time_. Friends or not, not a lot of girls would go out of their way to save an ex-boyfriend."

Sokka smiled, eyes tracing the small pout across those expressive lips of hers. Those expressive, soft, blood-stained lips. "Thanks…Next time you save my life, I'll be sure to bring breath mints."

"Much appreciated."

"…So…what were you scared of?" he asked gently, determined to get some kind of answer out of her before they reached their destination and they'd have doctors and nurses and healers to interrupt them. "Was…was it something I did? Because I never…"

"No," she interrupted softly, blind eyes darting under her bangs towards the direction of his voice. "You…it was me okay? I was just…" Toph shrugged, her voice trailing off into nothing.

He sat up in the cart, trying not to wince as pain radiated up chest. "Just what?" the warrior encouraged.

This time her eyes slipped closed and the cart slowed down in her grip, though she refused to stop it for anything. "I didn't know what to do okay? You said…that…and suddenly it was like everything was in a spotlight. I'm not good at…feelings…okay? It's easier to just stay friends."

He blinked. "Maybe for you…I didn't want to freak you out, I just…" his voice faded into oblivion for a moment, not sure of what to say to make this experience any less uncomfortable. An idea flashed through his head. _No don't say that you idiot, she just said that's what freaked her out in the first place!_

_Ah, screw it._

"I still…feel that way, you know…so when…it really sucked okay?" _Not quite as clear as he had intended, but he supposed it got the message across._

She bit her lip uncomfortably. "Yeah…sorry. Sometimes it's just easier…to run."

"So…what do you…do you…uh…?" Sokka struggled for the words a minute, desperately trying not to come across as cheesey or, even worse, put her on the spot.

But before he could make his question clear, they had stopped moving and Toph had ran away again. He jerked his head in the direction she was running, only to see her disappear into the hospital building in search of someone to help her hull him in. _Had they already made it to the water district that fast?_

Seconds later the question didn't matter as several powerful hands had wrapped around his torn up body and started carrying him into the building after his friend. White hot flashes of pain seemed to erupt from every pore, and he was starting to wonder if those lousy thugs had broken _every_ bone in his body. To nobody's surprise, Sokka fell back into unconsciousness before they had even gotten him inside the building.

* * *

Toph sat quietly to herself as healer after healer stormed into her friend's room. She caught herself rubbing her hands together nervously, but made no move to stop it. _He'll be fine. He'll be fine. He'll be fine._

With a foot to the floor to make sure nobody was looking her way, the woman smacked her lips together silently and felt her tongue around to catch that disgusting taste of blood and sewer water and whale jerky she was all too aware what the source of it was. She didn't know mouth to mouth to save her life, much less Sokka's. All she did was pull him out of the sewer and push on his chest a few times like she'd seen his sister do once.

The kiss, as disgusting as it was, was all her.

And she _really_ wished she hadn't done that, because now, if he _did_ die, she'd be cursed with the memory of whatever horrible experience that was; the awful taste of copper on those cold, unmoving lips. Yeah, not exactly how she'd want to remember her best friend. He was just so…dead.

The thought chilled her. That wasn't Sokka. That was some unconscious body covered in blood and nearly drowned in sewer water. The taste didn't even bother her that much, hell the girl had eaten _sea prunes_ before! It was the fact that it came from him, when she knew full well the real Sokka should never, _ever_, taste like that. That was scary.

But he was going to be fine, right? He was talking fine just a little while ago, and this was a water district hospital so it wasn't like she had to worry about them poisoning him or harvesting his organs or experimenting on him or whatever all those rumors told her. Of anything, _she_ should be the one worrying about that; being clearly earth nation and all. No, Sokka was going to be fine...just fine…

* * *

**BAM! Totaly abrupt and unsatifying ending!**

**Please don't kill us...**


	26. 26 Trials

**Hello world! Sorry for the terrible wait we've been putting you all through, but you know how it is with life getting in the way and stuff. Anywho, here's a little ditty for prompt 26 - trials. The idea for this one actually comes from a writing journal assignment in Marla's english class. The question on the board was "would you be willing to plead guilty to a crime you didn't commit, to protect a loved one?" and you could've answered it anyway you wanted to (essay, creative writting, ect.). The first half is what she came up with, the second half is something RubyT tacked on afterwards.**

**Oh, and for the record, we fully intend to add on to our last story _Taste_. So...yeah, don't worry, we won't leave you hanging.**

**Before we began, a special shout out to Tomboy 26 and Ann Bei Fong. Don't get us wrong, we love _all_ of our amazing, spectacular, awsome, tokka-rific, reviewers out there; but we just gotta give these two special props for being so loyal. Seriously, you two are like a fanfiction author's wet dream! You guys review pretty much every chapter now a days (even the sucky ones) and pretty much _always_ have something good to say. Like we said: AMAZING!**

**We don't own ATLA. (Disclaimer monster is in bed...)**

* * *

"No. There is no way in hell I'm agreeing to this."

His majesty sighed mournfully, still gently patting his beloved pet as Bosco rested his massive head on the Earth King's lap. "I understand you have your pride Toph, but this is a sensitive issue. I can't make you do something you don't want to do, however, I'm simply asking you to think about it," King Kuei explained delicately to the young woman before him. She gazed upon him with unseeing eyes as he spoke, black hair piled up into a simple bun and bangs tucked securely behind her ears to respectfully allow the King to see her face.

The earthbender's eyes narrowed. "I want to talk to Sokka about this," she demanded, crossing her arms tight over her chest in a small act of defiance. Her voice echoed across the massive throne room, indicating how alone they really were. Only her, the Earth King, and Qin Lee, the king's newest and most trusted adviser, remained a part of this highly sensitive and possibly corrupt conversation. Not including Bosco, unhelpfully snoozing at Kuei's side as his master comfortingly stroked behind his ears.

"'Sokka', highly objected to the idea," Qin Lee replied, twisting his thin, black bead between two fingers thoughtfully. "It seems he failed to see the benefit in saving his own life."

Toph's mouth twisted into a scowl listening to the adviser's attitude, of which she hadn't been a fan of since the day he was implemented as a permanent replacement to Long Feng. The Earth King, never one for unnecessary conflict, glanced nervously between the two before gently cutting in. "What Qin Lee means to say, is that Sokka has a bit of a…conflict of interest here. It's really your decision and he would just…complicate things."

"So what? We're just supposed to stand around here and decide his fate for him? He killed an assassin! Why is he even on trial here?"

"Vigilante justice will not be tolerated here in Ba Sing Se!" Qin Lee nearly exploded, though his heart beat remained unnaturally steady and well controlled. "We have rules, laws, guidelines! Nobody is exempt from the rules, no matter what the case!"

"Well your rules stink!" Toph spat, realizing that it was a childish retort, but not necessarily caring. "Any one of us would've done the same thing! You can't just hang him for being in the right place at the right time!"

"It was murder!"

"He saved your lives!"

Guilt shadowed the Earth King's face. "I know…" he admitted softly, cutting off Qin Lee before he could respond with something sharp. "This is all my fault. I should've listened. I should've increased security. Then none of this would've happened…"

His adviser sighed, what appeared to be genuine concern in his expression. "Do not blame yourself my liege," he comforted with a slight bow. "What's done is done. We must not dwell on what could have been done differently." Toph didn't miss the quick glare he shot in her direction as he spoke, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

"But I do owe him my life, adviser," the King admitted.

Qin Lee nodded. "I understand your majesty. But to pardon a foreign peasant over Earthkingdom nobility would be an act of political suicide, no matter how questionable the man's intentions were."

"Sokka has more honor in his little finger, than you do in your whole body you jackass!" Toph erupted. Politics were never her strong suit; that was more Sokka's thing. Unconsciously she bit her lip, flexing her fists nervously as the conversation continued down a bad road. If only he was here now, he'd know what to do. After all, he _was_ the plan guy.

To her distaste, the adviser simply ignored her and continued to convince the Earth King. "The people would demand blood. After all, the Pang family is a very prestigious family, and well adored by the people."

"Xu Pang is a thug! We don't even know why he attacked you in the first place!"

Qin Lee suddenly snapped his head back to the interrupting young woman before them. "One more outburst and the decision shall be made for you Miss Bei Fong! And I promise you will not like the result!" Toph shut her mouth and fell silent, still glaring blind daggers in the direction of their voices. The adviser then turned back towards the King, his expression softening. "As I was saying, war hero or not, admitting to the people that a Water Tribesman is responsible for the death of a member of the Pang family and that you _won't_ be taking any disciplinary measures would only invoke a backlash. After all your majesty, an eye for an eye is the golden rule…"

Toph snarled at the thought, the ground literately tensing under her feet. She felt Qin Lee shoot her another glance, more out of curiosity than anything, and the earthbender swallowed. The King's eyes were on her too now, and he silently prayed to the spirits that he wouldn't have to soon search for another adviser.

"But there must be some other way," Kuei pleaded, a silent desperation in his voice.

The hints of a twisted smile tweaked the corners of the older gentleman's mouth. "However…if the deed had been committed by someone considered equal in status, then we could throw the matter in the mercy of the court." Qin Lee started to pace as his plan formulated before them, returning to twisting his bead between his finger tips like before. "Someone from a prestigious family themselves…"

"Someone like me." It wasn't a question. Toph knew exactly what he had been asking all along.

The adviser nodded. "Not to mention, your majesty, how lady Toph is a celebrated war hero and Earthbending master to the Avatar himself. There wouldn't be a council or jury in the entire Kingdom unwilling to grant mercy upon the _great_ Toph Bei Fong."

The King nodded slowly. "Indeed…" he agreed, inspecting the woman's reactions carefully through the gold spectacles perched low on the bridge of his nose. "But you must understand that admitting to a crime you didn't commit…it would tarnish your reputation regardless. Not to mention you would be ostracized from the royal court…"

Toph pondered this in silence. They said they had already run through this plan with Sokka and he had obviously rejected it. Usually he knew what he was doing. He was good at this kind of political stuff. Over the past few years as ambassador, first to the Fire Nation and now more recently to the Earth Kingdom, it seemed like there wasn't a single loophole that those slimy lawyers could get by him, especially with her helping out as the designated lie detector. Qin Lee's plan seemed full proof, so why didn't Sokka agree to it? He had his pride, sure, but Toph had never known him to willingly die just for the sake of honor.

"I want to talk to Sokka," she said finally.

Qin Lee frowned. "That would be highly inappropriate."

The earthbender's hands balled into fists at her sides once more. "Why can't I see him?" she demanded. "I want to know why he didn't agree with your plan! I want to know what you aren't telling me!" Toph's head was nearly spinning. It all seemed so easy; admit to killing some creep, save Sokka's life, receive a slap on the wrist and go home. But what was wrong with it? What did he see that she couldn't?

"The decision is on the table Miss Bei Fong. Either take it, or Sokka of the Water Tribe will hang," the adviser retorted coolly, his patience wearing thin.

There it was.

Toph felt the Earth King give a mournful sigh, his eyes closing. She knew his hands were tied, and even if they weren't really, there wasn't any way _she_ could think a way out of this. That was Sokka's job. He was the plan guy. All she wanted to do was talk to him for five minutes, but apparently she couldn't even have that. A decision would have to be reached now.

"Okay. I'll do it…"

* * *

_Drip…drip…drip…_

The warrior turned ambassador sighed, leaning against the wall of his cell and praying it wouldn't give him splinters. "Why do these places always leak?" he muttered bitterly, ready to tear his hair out by the wolf's tail.

This was taking _way_ too long. Sokka knew full well they didn't have the grounds to keep him here, the past year of studying Earth Kingdom law told him that much. He smirked a little at the memory, sliding back into a laying down position and resting his head in the crook of his arm. Everyone had mocked him for studying so hard, but who was laughing now? Pretty soon he'd be out of here without so much as a slap on the wrist.

And how was he going to get out of here? Two words: 'diplomatic immunity', baby.

An old policy most people had forgotten about since the hundred year war, and wasn't even valid when it came to Fire Nation. However, the policy was technicality never revoked between the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom, and as ambassador he had no doubt it would be enough to protect him, even if that man _was_ a Pang. The King might not be aware of this (which really just showed how in the dark the poor man had been kept his whole life when it came to international policies), but his adviser would have to know. I mean, how couldn't he?

Until then, Sokka would just have to wait. He wondered briefly if Toph was doing alright on her own, then nearly slapped himself for thinking it. Of course she was fine, she was Toph! Maybe she wasn't exactly an Earth Kingdom book of law like himself, but the girl did fine enough on her own here in the city as…well her job title mainly consisted of whatever it was convenient for her to do. She'd go to meetings as a lie detector and accompany the Earth King every time he left the palace, but other than that there wasn't much she _could_ do. Don't get him wrong, she always did seem to prove herself useful, but Toph was about as good with people in a political setting as he was at those fancy Earth King parties…the same ones he had been banned from.

The deal was, he made the plans and Toph enforced them. That's the way it'd been going for some time, and the Earth Kingdom had never ran smoother. She was the power behind the plan, without her Sokka was pretty sure nobody would listen to a thing he'd say. He was just happy it had been him there that night, as opposed to Toph, who was about _this_ close to visiting the King instead. Sure she was a war hero and all, but up against the court in a trial like this…well…she had been known to step on quite a few toes since they'd came here. Although yes, she got people to listen, _tact_ wasn't exactly in the woman's vocabulary, and more often than not she'd gone too far with an insult or two.

As much as he hated to admit it, the court would eat her alive. Him too, possibly, but at least he'd have a couple years worth of studying Ba Sing Se law under his belt. Toph had nothing like that, and he knew more than a few people that wouldn't mind her out of the picture.

Sokka sighed, sitting up again to pick up his discarded dinner knife in the near-dark, wooden cell. All he could say was that it was a good thing this was happening to him instead. He was in pretty good with King Kuei, and had no doubt the man would use this loop hole as a good excuse to stop this matter from going to court, where spirits knows what his fate might be. The warrior mused that hanging would seem a bit extreme; after all he _was_ protecting the Earth King. Banishment seemed probable though. It wasn't a stretch to assume a couple of nobles hated him and Toph's guts enough to send one of them away for good. Really that wouldn't even be that bad for him, after all, Sokka was sure there was still a place for them in the Firenation. But for Toph – to give up her family, her home, her _everything_ – that was another reason Sokka was more than grateful it was him in this armpit of a situation instead of her.

In his boredom, the warrior suddenly started toying around with the remaining eating utensil, tossing it from hand to hand as he whistled. It kind of reminded him of that night he and Toph had spent in the drunk tank after 'upsetting the peace' back in the Firenation. A brilliant idea suddenly came to mind, and Sokka quickly went to work.

Without speaking, he started chiseling away at the side of the cell, grateful that it was wooden, but a bit disappointed that Toph would never be able to see what he was doing. It didn't take long to finish, and when he did, Sokka stepped back a ways and squinted back down at his handiwork.

"Toph and Sokka" was all it said, scrapped fairly decent against the side of the cell considering the only thing he had to work with was a dull old prison knife. Immediately he felt like facepalming. Years of being forced to write her name before his must've brainwashed him, otherwise this could've been his chance to finally receive top billing in one of their thousands of works of graffiti they'd left behind (unbenowned to Katara during their travels). Such a loss.

Then he stopped for a second and glanced around the cell, a crazy thought coming to mind. Sokka considered for a second the notion that Toph would be unable to read anything he decided to scribble into _wood_ and couldn't help mauling over all the potentially evil possibilities. He glanced back over to their names carved deep into the wooden grain with a dark smirk, only to find himself stopping his hand mid-air as it was about to carve something he knew Toph would probably bury him up to his neck in rubble just for considering.

Sokka wasn't sure why, but suddenly the air changed. He thought for a moment, glancing around nervously once more out of, mostly, embarrassment. Before he gave it a second thought, the warrior pressed the knife deep into the wooden grain and carved out two little misshapen half-circles around the names, far lighter than the characters themselves.

The result was exactly as he intended, and what he knew Toph would _definitely_ bury him up to his nose in earth for, for being so unbelievably corny. It gave him a tiny smile though, the skin of his cheeks tinted a little pinker than usual for just barely a second. He sighed and leaned back down against the other side of the cell, staring at the little heart containing their names in it and thanking the spirits Toph couldn't read on wood because if she could he might've literately died of embarrassment.

He couldn't help it though. After all, he was Sokka: plain guy, meat guy, sarcasm guy, swordsman guy, ambassador guy, warrior guy, boomerang guy, and – just maybe – disgustingly clique romantic…guy.

Sokka snickered. Although she'd never know, he couldn't help thinking Toph would painfully agree.

After a while though, the novelty wore off, and the man just rested his head back against the wall behind him, wincing at the feel of wooden splinters sinking into the back of his neck. Only a hint of worry remained as the minutes stretched out into hours. Sooner or later, they'd have to come get him, and when they did, things would go right back to normal. Until then, he supposed a nap would suffice. It wasn't like he was going anywhere, and besides, his friend would probably be there as soon as he woke up, ready to greet him with a sarcastic comment and a punch in the arm.

Oblivious to the world outside his cell, Sokka fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

**So there you have it. Just a little something we whiped up on the spot. And for the record, Toph can't tell when Qin Lee is lying. Lets just say for the sake of convencence that he has some kind of Azula thing going on. Don't ask us why, its just a one-shot; and not even one of our better ones at that.**

**Until next time, this is Invaders Marla and RubyT signing off!**


	27. 84 Where

**HOLY MICROSCOPIC CHEESEBURGERS! At 8,140 words this is our longest story yet! And even worse, this one doesn't even follow a prompt! We picked the closest thing we could find, which is where. (Honestly we hate these question prompts. not sure why, but they're really hard to write for)**

**Anyway, this story is an idea me and Marla have had in our heads pretty much forever. Finally, one day we sat down and just said enough is enough! We have to write some Freedom Fighter-Toph stuff before we tear our hair out. And we're glad we did. It didn't turn out nearly as bad as we thought it would.**

**Also, there is mentions of Suki/Ty-Lee. If you think that's weird (personally we think that pairing is pretty cute) just exchange Ty-Lee for someone else in your mind. It doesn't _really_ matter, as it isn't terribly important to the plot, but please don't complain about it in reviews. Its not a big deal, so don't make it into one please.**

**Disclaimer Monster: ATLA is not owned by Marla or RubyT, _ladies_**

**Marla: You sound like a creep D.M.**

**D.M.: Whatever you say, _ladies_.**

**RubyT: Hurray! Random Demetri Martin joke! ... _ladies_**

**Marla sighes and rolls her eyes before going back to putting stickers on her turtle.**

* * *

Somewhere in the Earthkingdom wilderness, a young woman sat kneeling in the brush near a popular forest path. Small vibrations tickled her feet just barely under a thin layer of light, sun-warmed grass, alerting her of an oncoming target. The edges of her lips curled upwards in a mischievous smirk, shifting the skin under thick layers of green war paint applied earlier by a friend. A bird chirped knowingly overhead, but nobody paid any mind.

"So does everyone know the plan?"

Several figures in a low crouch nodded beside her, faces obscured by layers of colored war paint in similar patterns to hers. She could hear someone near the back prepare a bow and arrow and feel the girl at her side clutch at her dagger anxiously, all of them eager for a signal.

"…and no casualties right?" a small voice suddenly piped up from on her left, eyes peeking up at their leader from under an unusually large helmet.

She didn't turn her gaze over towards the boy when she spoke, still staring ahead into the darkness only she saw. However, the older girl spared the boy a reassuring smile and nodded gently. "Nope," she whispered, ears twitching for any sign of their upcoming target as what little conversation they had died away. Toph could feel it coming; they just needed to wait a little bit longer…

Finally she heard the tell-tale clomp of komodo-rhino feet stomping along the path. Smellerbee rested a hand on their leader's shoulder seconds before Toph gave the signal to commence. "It's Firenation," she breathed, surprised at the foreign-looking carriage rocking along the familiar forest path.

The earthbender shrugged. "Does it look like a stuffy rich person owns it?"

"Yeah."

"Well then let's go." Toph pumped a single fist in the air as the signal, affectively silencing her friend before she had a chance to reply. The rest of the Freedom Fighters tensed with anticipation, watching as she leapt from the bushes and got into her horse stance.

Earth erupted from the ground, enveloping the carriage's wheels and cementing the komodo-rhinos in place. She waved her hand and immediately a smoke bomb was tossed onto the path. Everybody leapt into action.

The carriage was big. Far larger and better adorned then their usual targets they got out here on the forest path. Toph smirked wider at the thought, letting the others race ahead to distract the bewildered guards marching outside the carriage for protection. Bigger targets meant bigger gains. Whatever stuck up noble riding here didn't need all that precious gold; but the village a few miles away from here, the one with starving children and homeless war veterans, Toph knew they sure could.

And they didn't call her the Blind Bandit for nothing.

Finally she felt things start to settle among the chaos. Smellerbee and Sneers were finishing up tying down the remainder of the guards while Pipsqueak and a few others raided the cargo hold in back. Toph walked over casually and tapped the side of the carriage, happy to discover it was constructed of metal and therefore only accessible to her.

She nodded back at her team, indicating without words that she was going in. Several others turned towards her, weapons at the ready and prepared to assist if necessary. They watched as the young earthbender dug her fists into the side of the carriage, ripping open a hole just large enough for her to crawl through.

"Okay, whoever you are, lets just get this over with so we can all get out of here and go home. That sound good?" she said, just short enough to stand comfortably in the carriage's interior as she crossed her arms smugly across her chest.

There was a bored sigh. "Oh, it's you…" a familiar voice replied, shocking the younger woman's nerves for a moment.

Toph silently cursed her inability to see details through the metal flooring.

"Mai?" she blurted, unable to help the surprise in her tone.

The current Firelady looked over her attacker, grey eyes seemingly unimpressed by the whole display. In her left hand she held a black, lace fan that never stopped waving even throughout the war-painted earthbender's ambush, her right rested comfortably on her noticeably expanded stomach. "You're here to rob me, right?" she asked bluntly, not betraying any emotion other than that of mild boredom.

Toph felt herself rub the back of her neck uncomfortably, feeling more than a little awkward by this sudden twist. "…Looks that way huh?"

The other woman just shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Go ahead," she said with a slight yawn, setting down her fan and moving on to inspect her darkened fingernails. "I won't tell Zuko."

"Uh…thanks. I'll just…take any gold you have on you?" she stammered, more of a question than a demand.

Mai sighed and tossed her a couple bags of gold that she slid out of her sleeves and various pockets on her person. "I'm keeping my weapons."

Toph just pocketed them quickly and shrugged. "That's fine." She hesitated for a minute, a cool summer breeze comfortably wafting through the hole left in the side of the metal carriage. "So…how is everybody?"

"Zuko and I are fine…I'm pregnant by the way," she answered, adding on the last bit once she remembered that the younger woman probably couldn't see very well in their current surroundings.

The newest Freedom Fighter perked up slightly. "No kidding?" she asked with a forced smile, instinctively taking a step backwards. "I guess that's why I'm not shot full of knives, huh?"

"Pretty much," she said, shrugging, before continuing on. In a way the Firelady was grateful Toph didn't seem too keen on the subject of children. All the baby talk around Ty-Lee alone was exhausting, not to mention everybody else that had weaseled into their circle of acquaintances in the past few years. "Everybody should be at the South Pole this time of year. Even Iroh."

There was a brief hesitation, and for some reason the Freedom Fighter found herself biting her lip. "Everyone? Even…Suki?"

Mai scoffed, her attention back on her nails. "You've been gone a while. She's in Kyoshi I think. _With Ty-Lee_…"

Something about the way she said it perked the younger girl's interest in an entirely different way. "Like…'_with_'?"

She nodded, what had potential to be a smile crossing her pale lips as her attention returned to Toph. "A lot's changed since you've left, hmm?"

"So you and Zuko…?"

"Married, obviously."

"Katara and Aang…?"

"Same."

"….Sokka…?"

The Firelady shrugged. "Who knows? I'll tell him I bumped into you if you want…" she replied, the potential smile spreading just a tiny bit more across her face.

Toph staggered back a little towards the exit, blind eyes widening uncomfortably. "Oh…no that's okay…Well, I'd love to stay and chat but I have to get back to my Freedom Fighters now…" she said, pointing in the direction she was drifting, a small blush just barely visible under layers of war paint and black hair.

Mai nodded, that all-knowing smirk never leaving her face or her voice. "Of course you do."

"Yeah, well…bye then."

The second Toph's toes touched solid earth again, she exhaled long and hard, running a hand through her short, raven hair. Most of the other Freedom Fighters had already gone back to the hide out with today's loot. Only Smellerbee and Longshot remained.

"Are you okay?" the only other girl rasped, watching their leader shake herself off for a second before resuming her usual confident air.

Toph nodded, already making her way back into the forest. "Yeah. Let's just get out of here before this day gets any weirder…"

* * *

'Weird' was an understatement, in everyone's opinion. After returning to their hideout, the Blind Bandit, rather than celebrate another successful heist with strong drinks, offensive folk songs, and classic Toph-style roughhousing (which more or less involved knocking over a tree or two), instead gave the group a half-hearted congratulations and shut herself up in her 'office' without hardly a word for the remainder of the day.

"Is she okay?" The Duke asked, glancing back at the large, rock-built structure their leader had created as a substitute to living among the treetops with the rest of them.

He currently sat between Longshot and Smellerbee on a long, sturdy log the group often used for eating; Pipsqueak forced to sit on the ground so that his massive figure wouldn't snap it in half. They all balanced plates of mostly beans on their laps, a roaring fire flickering before them offered the only light in the evening night. Nearby on another log, Sneers was talking feverishly about something with Fish, who just listened half-heartedly as she spat onto the ground in a decidedly un-ladylike fashion.

Smellerbee shrugged, taking her attention off watching Pipsqueak shovel spoonful after spoonful of beans eagerly down his throat. "I'm not sure. She did seem a little off today," the woman rasped, following the youngest member of the group's gaze as if the earth hut might erupt at any moment. Longshot nodded, his attention also fixed on their leader's hut.

"Mmby someom shoud go tawk to her," Pipsqueak mumbled through a mouthful of food, glancing up as if to indicate The Duke.

He blinked. "Who, me? Why me?" the boy stumbled, not so pleasant memories of a certain earthbender in a bad mood back during his stay at the Western Air Temple flashing through his mind.

"Yoor friembs righ?"

"Well yeah, but…" The Duke glanced over to Smellerbee for some help as he struggled for an excuse. She shrugged, glancing away until she caught Longshot's knowing gaze. He nodded slightly, tearing his eyes away only for a split second to indicate The Duke's stumbling.

Smellerbee sat down her plate, rolling her eyes as she stood up off the log. "Fine, I'll do it," she sighed, slightly exasperated. The others all visibly relaxed as they watched her step over them and make her way over towards their leader's hut, grateful that it wasn't any of them that may have to endure the woman's wrath.

Without so much as knocking, Smellerbee brushed aside the tattered, green cloth blocking the hut's even darker interior. Being blind, Toph obviously never had any need for candles or windows and the younger woman had to blink repetitively in the near-pitch blackness of her home for her eyes to adjust. Finally after a minute, she managed to make out the small silhouette of her friend curled up on the floor against the farthest wall, her face unreadable in the endless shadow.

"Mind if I light a candle?" Smellerbee asked the figure, feeling around for the small trunk she knew existed.

The Blind Bandit just snorted in response, the shadow turning its head away. After a second, the brown-haired girl finally managed to track down what she was searching for, opening the lid and moving on to fumble for the stack of candles hardly ever used. Once one was lit and sat down on the trunk's closed lid, Smellerbee cautioned another step towards her leader. The small flame immediately shed some light on her friend, revealing that she had long since washed off her war paint and was now sitting comfortably against the far wall hugging one knee against her chest with her opposite leg stretched out in front of her.

"Your hair's getting long. I'll have to cut it again," she noted, taking a seat in the dirt close, but not too close, to where she sat.

"What do you want?" Toph mumbled, skipping the formalities and getting directly to the point. Her blind gaze remained fixed on the ground in front of her, mint green eyes lost in thought.

"Why are you acting like this?"

She flinched slightly. "Like what?" she replied after only a moment's hesitation, not bothering to look up.

Ignoring her question, Smellerbee continued, tilting her head down in hopes of catching her gaze so that she might be able to accurately judge her friend's behavior. "Did something happen during today's heist? Did that rich jerk say something?" The Freedom Fighter had never known the other girl to let such things bother her, especially from people she was robbing, so it was a shot in the dark.

Toph sighed, allowing space into the conversation for a moment before she considered answering. Shadows from the candlelight flickered anxiously over the older girl's pale face, which still remained slightly obscured by a curtain of her hair. "Sorry about being such a wet blanket today, it's just…don't tell anyone, but that person in the carriage we robbed today…kinda used to be an old friend of mine."

"What?" the brunette perked up, leaning forward slightly on her arms.

"She's the Firelord's wife."

Immediately at the word 'Firelord' Smellerbee felt a slight churning in her gut, forcing herself to remember that the first man to come to mind when she mentioned the Firenation, was not necessarily the person she was talking about. _Zuko_ was Firelord now, and if memory served Toph had been pretty close to him at one time. The _new_ Firenation didn't destroy villages and kill innocent people. For a moment she thought it sad that she had to keep reminding herself these things, but considering that the woman spent her entire childhood fighting these monsters, she supposed it wasn't a big surprise.

"…Mai right?" she finally recalled, vaguely remembering the name from some faraway source and hoping it was accurate.

Luckily, Toph nodded. "Yeah…it was pretty weird to see her again…"

She didn't need to add on that that particular group of people was the main reason she was hiding out with the Freedom Fighters away from the world in the first place, playing Robin Hood to the nearby villages torn apart by a century long war. It just went without saying.

The actual reason _why_ Toph had left at all remained unknown though, and although everybody had done a good job of avoiding pushing the issue, Smellerbee couldn't seem to stop the question before it had already bubbled up out of her like a particularly embarrassing belch. Not that she was ever really ashamed of belching, not like she was when she watched Toph tilt up her head finally and show her that worn, tired expression she'd kept hidden under her bangs all this time anyway.

The younger woman nearly winced under her gaze, before sharply reminding herself that Freedom Fighters did _not_ wince. Instead she waited patiently for Toph's reply, surprised when one never came and instead her leader went right back to staring blindly at the ground. She considered playing along and pretending that she hadn't asked such an uncomfortably personal question. After another moment however, her curiosity won out and, as she figured she'd gone this far she'd might as well finish it, Smellerbee repeated herself.

"Why _did_ you leave?"

Toph tilted up her head again, mouth curved into a tight, bitter frown that was very nearly a scowl. "I didn't," her voice replied, sharp and cold and unlike anything Smellerbee had heard from their fearless leader before, "_they_ left _me_.

"Right after the war I thought everything was going to be great right? And it was for a while…But then everything started changing. Aang was always off doing Avatar stuff and helping 'restore balance', and Katara was always either with him or in the South Pole doing her own thing. Zuko spent all his time playing Firelord and being all cuddly with Mai so I never got to see him anymore either. I couldn't go back to my parents because they pretty much just disowned me after mom had another baby, another _seeing_ baby. And Sokka…" Here her voice faltered, the woman's scowl stretching deeper as she shook her head from the unwanted thoughts. "…anyway, everybody just sort of moved on with their life and…they didn't need me any more."

Smellerbee nodded, listening with genuine interest and slightly urging her on.

Toph sighed. "And now…Mai's pregnant, Aang and Katara are married; mom and dad are probably still taking care of my _brother_; and Sokka…well, either way it means that everybody's happy without me…" Her eyes slipped closed as the older girl tilted her head lower towards the ground. "Nobody probably even _thinks_ about me anymore…"

Carefully, Smellerbee scooted closer towards her friend and patted her shoulder comfortingly; happy when the older girl didn't try to shake her off. "Well…you always have us," she tried. "We've got your back."

The dark haired teen shook her head. "Right, I'm just totally going to pretend we didn't already lose half the group in just the last month. I hear Slim and Bugboo got married?"

"Yeah…" she replied unenthusiastically, remembering how happy they had looked the last time she had seen them, smiling and laughing together; followed immediately by bitter disappointment after the verbal tongue lashing they'd received from Toph once she had heard they were leaving the Freedom Fighters to settle down and start a life together. "But not everybody's gonna leave. The Duke, Pipsqueak, Longshot, me – you've got us 'till the end."

Toph sniffed and lifted her head, shifting so that she was hugging both knees to her chest. "What about Sneers?"

Smellerbee looked slightly away, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well…he and Fish have been talking…"

"I knew it…" Toph muttered bitterly, glaring into nothing. "And I've seen the way you and Longshot are. It's only a matter of time before you move on too."

The younger girl blushed slightly. "We're just friends..."

"Whatever."

An awkward silence commenced. Outside it was getting late. Toph could feel the gentle, and sometimes not-so-gentle, vibrations of the other Freedom Fighters as they each made their way back to bed, all of them murmuring to each other as they disappeared into the trees. She sighed, letting herself rest her chin on her knees. Smellerbee didn't say anything, just continued sitting beside her and offering a kind of silent company Toph was more grateful for then she'd admit.

Finally she spoke, her voice shaken and on the verge of tears. "I just feel so…rejected…"

Smellerbee looked up, not realizing her eyes had already started to drift closed. "Did you expect them to follow you?"

"No…well…maybe a little. I just didn't know I'd feel so…abandoned."

"Do…do they even know where you are?"

Toph shook her head no. "…well maybe now that Mai's seen me…I just sort of left one day, without saying goodbye to anyone." She snorted. "I guess I'm pretty good at that."

Smellerbee didn't reply. Another minute passed before she finally found herself standing. "I…guess I'll just be going to bed now. Try to get some sleep okay? We already took care of the village before dinner so we have the whole day ahead of us tomorrow."

The older girl barely nodded, already receding back into her mind. Smellerbee sighed, turning back to blow out what remained of the candle sitting on the trunk before exiting the small hut. She took a deep breath, looking up to catch merely a handful of stars as they sparkled down through the treetops overhead.

"Hey Smellerbee!"

The girl nearly jumped, hand automatically reaching for the sword on her back. Only when she saw The Duke scurrying over, helmet in hand, did she relax. "Oh, hey The Duke."

A small glint in the boy's eye caught what little moonlight the crescent moon overhead gave off and sparkled. He was nearly tripping over himself as he ran over towards her, his unbridled enthusiasm enough to tell her he knew something important.

"What is it?"

"Longshot found a messenger hawk! He's gonna get Fish to read it for us!"

Smellerbee perked up in interest, not even having to answer before she was already chasing after the boy in the darkness. The Freedom Fighters never received letters, especially courtesy of Firenation-breed messenger hawks. Once or twice Longshot had managed to shoot down a hawk back during the war, when Jet was still their leader. Fish wasn't a very skilled fighter, but having been orphaned at an older age than most, she was one of the few Freedom Fighters that had been taught to read and write before joining. Smellerbee was pretty sure Longshot could read too, but as he never talked out loud it was always safer in the past to get either Jet or Fish to read it for them rather than risk a misunderstanding.

Once they stopped in a small clearing, she was surprised to find the hawk sitting, unharmed, on a branch overhanging the group. Her eyes glanced over to Fish, already there and appearing as if they had just rolled her out of bed. "What is it?"

Without speaking, Longshot nodded towards the letter in the girl's hands. Smellerbee followed his gaze, her eyes widening when she recognized what he had been indicating to. There, bold against the pale parchment in her friend's hands, boasted the red and golden seal of the Firenation Royal family. A lump formed in her throat.

"What's it say…?"

* * *

He opened his mouth, a single eyebrow raised inquisitively, before closing it again. The Firelord leaned back in his chair, his very pregnant and probably travel weary wife sitting calmly at his side. Her grey eyes flicked over to him for a moment as she brought the chopsticks to her lips once more; eating like she hadn't seen food in days, yet still with just enough restraint to appear proper.

"Do you even know what you're eating right now?" a voice asked for him from the couch, blue eyes just barely peeking over the back.

Mai shrugged. "Do I care?"

In her lap sat a strange, green colored dish the locals had offered as a sign of respect…or as a joke. Zuko wasn't entirely sure which. What he _did_ know was that tensions were still high here in Omashu; high enough to require a public appearance to smooth things over and reopen trade between here and the Firenation, something his country's less than stable economy desperately needed right now.

King Bumi certainly didn't _seem_ bitter about the whole, Firenation taking over his city and imprisoning him in a metal coffin thing, but whatever they were attempting to feed him and his wife suggested otherwise. Not that Mai seemed to care. He remembered Aang telling him about all the fantastic feasts Omashu offered their guests, and that its cuisine was some of the finest in the world. Somehow, the green junk his wife was currently shoveling in her mouth wasn't exactly what he had in mind.

Finally Zuko shook his head, tearing the focus away from King Bumi's latest gag and back to where it had been before the servants had brought Mai her 'meal'.

"You shouldn't be here."

The woman just rolled her eyes, taking time to swallow another mouthful before responding. "The palace is boring. Why? Do you not _want_ me here, Zuko?" she challenged, eyes narrowing just slightly.

He sat up. "No, no, that's not what I meant!" he reprimanded, more than a little nervous. A soft snicker was heard from the couch over, earning his attention immediately. "Shut up!" Zuko hissed.

The Tribesman just flopped back to laying down on the plush, green furniture, smirking as he repositioned his arm back over his eyes like it had been before. The rest of his body remained sprawled out comfortably, his limbs twisted to accommodate the shape of the couch. "…someone's whipped…" Sokka whispered under his breath, continuing to snicker as the Firelord and his wife argued over whether long-distance traveling was appropriate in her current 'condition'.

Not long into their light bickering, a young servant entered the room, bowing as he gently interrupted the pair by clearing his throat. "Excuse me Firelord Zuko," the man spoke once he felt he'd had everybody's attention, "but an emergency meeting has been called. The King demands your attendance immediately."

Zuko glanced back over toward the window, a pale crescent moon peeking out from behind the clouds. "It's a bit late don't you think?"

"I'm only following orders sir."

With a sigh, the Firelord reluctantly got to his feet. "This conversation isn't over," he told Mai stiffly, running a hand through his loose hair and searching around for his usual golden topknot. In seconds he felt it bounce off the side of his head and clatter to the ground at his feet. He shot a heated glare back at the couch.

"Sorry…" Sokka muttered, shrinking back into the cushions of the couch. "I thought you'd catch it…"

With a sigh, Zuko scooped up the valuable, royal hairpiece and followed the servant out the door, pulling up his hair as he walked. Mai continued eating feverishly. Although disgusting to look at, she found the mysterious green food very appetizing; though it could've just been the pregnancy talking.

Finally, once she'd finished her meal and abandoned the bowl on a random table nearby, her piecing eyes flickered back over towards the couch. Sokka remained entirely hidden by its backing as he stretched himself back into the cushions with a yawn. Only a bit of brown hair peeking over the edge was enough to tell her a human was lying there at all.

"Why are _you_ here?" the Firelady found herself asking, rising from her chair to sit in a more comfortable one facing the couch.

Sokka lifted his arm from his face, peeking under it to see Mai relax into more green plush, crossing her legs neatly under her crimson dress. He shrugged and sat up, oblivious to the distressed state of his wolf's tail and more focused on smoothing the wrinkles from his shirt. "Had nothing better to do, I guess… Things at the South Pole are pretty hectic this time of year so I figured I'd check in on my favorite Jerkbender."

She almost smirked at the colorful nickname the tribesman had granted her husband. "I believe that's _Firelord_ Jerkbender."

"Nope. Me and Jerkbender go _way_ back. I'm not letting him sell out on me."

This time Mai actually did smile, only taking her eyes off him to motion to a servant for a pot of tea. She knew from experience things were boring here in Omashu too, but she was betting today's earlier encounter might bring on some interesting conversation with the young man.

Sokka leaned his head to one side, listening to it pop and groaning as it did. "You know…" he went on, moving on to rotate his shoulders. "You probably shouldn't travel alone, being pregnant and all. The bumps could make the baby come out all cross eyed."

She raised a brow. "Are you joking or just being stupid?"

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know…"

Rolling her eyes, the Firelady inwardly smiled. "I don't know…you meet a lot of interesting people on the road…"

Sensing something in her words, Sokka stopped stretching at looked at her. "You met someone?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't _not_ say it."

Mai shrugged, leaning back into the chair and yawning slightly. "Whatever. Just a little something that happened earlier today. We got robbed."

"Robbed?" he parroted, sitting up on the couch with interest. "Did you tell Zuko?"

"No. Someone will eventually."

"Are you kidding? How much did they take?" Sokka blurted, nearly falling off the couch he was sitting so far forward.

She rolled her eyes, pulling out a dagger and using it to pick the dirt out from under her fingernails. "I don't know. Who cares? At least it kept things mildly interesting…especially when I saw who was robbing me." The corners of her mouth twisted up slightly. Maybe she'd spent too much time with Azula as a child, but there was no denying how fun it was messing with people from time to time.

Sokka proudly took the bait. "Who? Was it someone I know? Was it Azula?"

Mai temporarily stopped inspecting her nails to shoot him an inquisitive look, raising one eyebrow slightly. "Don't you think if it was Azula I'd be dead right now?"

He frowned. "Okay Mrs. Sunshine, _who_ was it then?"

Feigning disinterest, the Firelady shrugged. "An old friend…"

Sokka was practically on his feet, ready to jump up and grab the woman by the shoulders if the need should arise. "Who?"

"Doesn't matter… I wonder if we have anymore of that green stuff…" Mai couldn't help but smirk at the way his teeth were already grinding with impatience. Sokka was just too easy.

"Just give me a hint!"

With a sigh, Mai figured she'd gone far enough. "Fine. She–"

But before she could finish, Sokka had leapt to his feet in excitement. "Toph! Was it Toph? You saw Toph!" Without warning, she felt him lean down and grab her shoulders as he nearly shouted, shaking them enthusiastically. She had to mentally remind himself to resist the urge to stab him in the gut with the dagger she was currently holding, instead opting for slapping his arm and scowling.

"Yes. I found Toph. Now will you get off me?" He happily obliged, stepping back without once loosing the uncharacteristic enthusiasm. Mai rolled her eyes and brushed herself off. "Your acting like the Avatar right now…"

That calmed him down slightly, setting himself back down on the couch. His eyes still sparkled with that excited glint though, bringing the Firelady back from annoyance to mild amusement. "Where is she? Is she with someone? Why did she rob you?"

"Forest. Bandits. Money. She called them…Freedom Foresters or something…"

"Freedom Fighters? Toph's with the Freedom Fighters?" he exclaimed, leaning in further forward on his elbows if possible. Finally after the initial surprise, he relaxed, running a hand through his wolf's tail as he mused over this recent discovery. "Wow…I-I gotta go find her!"

Mai didn't look up from her nails. "I've already sent a Hawk," she admitted as plainly as she might have described the weather. For a second she glanced up, grey eyes meeting his excited blues. She couldn't help that his smile was infectious. "If they send a message back you can follow it to wherever their camp is."

It was at that moment he decided to glomp her with an overenthusiastic hug, testing Mai's patience as far as it would go as her left hand continued to fiddle with the dagger between her fingertips. Luckily, Sokka pulled away before she had the chance to fully react, his wide grin starting to fade. "So uh…what did you guys talk about?"

She shrugged. "Mostly the robbery. It was quite the conversation piece."

"I'll bet."

Neither talked for a moment, his initial excitement at having heard from his long lost friend giving way to an awkward silence. Sokka slowly found himself lowering back down to the couch, eyes on the floor as he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.

After a second Mai sighed, putting down her dagger and sitting up. "What is it now?" she asked coolly.

He shrugged, scuffing the ground softly with his boot. "Nothing… You don't think she's still mad at me do you?"

"How should I know?"

Sokka glanced up, looking around practically everywhere but Mai's face. "I mean, it didn't make any sense. One minute we're sitting around calling Zuko names and scamming people in the capital, the next she's just gone! I don't know if it was my fault or…"

Mai just shrugged, resting a hand on her belly and rubbing it gently. "I'm not going to pretend I know what's going on in her head right now. Just go see her if you want, if not stay here. It doesn't really matter to me either way…" For a moment she caught his eye and a small smile prickled the corners of her lips. "But I would like to hear from the little headache again…"

"Yeah…" he agreed, slowly gaining his confidence back. "Yeah, I'll bring her back. I bet Katara and Aang can't wait to see her. I'll have to send them a hawk!" Sokka leapt to his feet, bidding Mai a quick 'thanks' before disappearing out the door and down the hall; the light pitter patter of his boots fading away.

She sighed and continued to rub her stomach, closing her eyes and resting her head back into the chair. It was a while before another presence made itself known, treading lightly into the room as to not distract the woman from her slumber. Mai, however, had other ideas.

"So how was the meeting?"

Zuko stopped in his tracks, surprised when he heard her voice. "You're awake," he pointed out, turning around to find her grey eyes studying him. "It was fine. Though that King has a…interesting sense of humor. What about you? What did you do while I was gone?"

She sighed. "Played matchmaker…again. I hate it."

"Well somebody has to do it. Ty-Lee and Suki were…" he stopped, trailing off for a second as her hand caught his. Zuko stopped what he was doing, looking down to where she sat in the chair nearby before leaning in slightly and meeting her for a kiss.

"I missed you…" she admitted softly.

He smiled, the two of them sharing a brief moment before he went back to removing some of the outer layers of his armor and formal robes. "So…" he started, pulling his hair down out of its usual topknot and shaking it out lightly. "Who were you pushing together this time?"

Mai just shrugged. "You'll find out eventually…The servants here are horrible by the way. I must've asked for a pot of tea about an hour ago…"

* * *

The Blind Bandit's eyes suddenly shot open. Without sitting up from her makeshift bed (essentially a mount of comfortable dirt she had conjured up the night before) her ears twitched for any sign of voices outside her hut. She counted six people nearby, all talking in low tones too obscured by the thick walls of her home to identify. A certain bird chirping indicated that they had let her sleep in to at least mid-day, something highly unusual. Carefully, she planted both palms into the dirt around her, trying to identify the figures purely by vibration alone.

There was Smellerbee, standing next to Longshot a little too closely, as usual. Fish was there too, oddly not with Sneers for once; strange considering the two were practically inseparable these days. Then there was Pipsqueak with The Duke at his side like the brothers they pretty much were. The last figure though threw her off, standing uncomfortably like nobody else in her Freedom Fighters; several inches too tall to be Sneers and far too lanky to be Bugbear.

"It can't be…" she muttered softly, listening to another voice through the rock and swearing its familiarity. Careful not to make a sound, Toph bent a small hole in the side of her hut facing in the direction of the figures talking.

"…so she's in there?" the stranger asked for what had to be the millionth time in just the last couple of minutes.

Smellerbee rolled her eyes. "Are you going or not?"

"Just…give me a second…"

Toph's eyes widened, her heart fluttering to life in her chest. Before she could remind herself that this was supposed to be somebody she was mad at, the woman bent down the entire south wall of her hut, ignoring the crashing sound of her possessions being tossed around by the shifting earth, and flung herself in the stranger's arms.

"Sokka!" Toph shouted, catching him unbelievably off guard and, in consequence, throwing them both to the ground.

Unable to avoid releasing a decidedly unmanly squeak of surprise, Sokka could barely register in his mind just what was happening as he was suddenly thrown to the ground; a heavy weight landing on top of him and squeezing him half to death. He blinked, groaning as suddenly a giant bush of raven hair was obscuring his view and trying desperately to suffocate him.

"…Toph?" it finally occurred to him, watching the green and black blur pick it's head off his chest and stare back at him with large, milk-tinted eyes. Once his mind finally started to catch up, the warrior found himself sitting up and hugging her back, this time happy to loose himself in the mop of unwashed black hair as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

It took several seconds of staying like that before they both came back down to earth; remembering that they had an audience. Toph leapt to her feet just as quickly as she had leapt into his arms, blushing faintly and turning so that nobody else would see. Sokka stumbled after her, brushing himself off before reaching back to make sure his wolf's tail was still tied securely down.

"Uh…guys this is Sokka. Sokka these are my Freedom Fighters," the girl awkwardly introduced, head still tilted away as her cheeks were starting to cool.

He nodded. "Yeah we've met. A few times actually…"

The group nodded in response. "Well…we'll just leave you two to catch up now…" Smellerbee suggested, eyes flickering between them both. Longshot nodded, already pushing The Duke and Fish along with him as he started walking away.

Once the rest of the Freedom Fighters were a safe distance away, Toph finally allowed herself to pick up her head, blowing some of the bangs out of her face. Without warning, one of her fists connected harshly with the side of his arm, a frown on her face.

"Ouch! What was that for?" he protested, reaching up to rub where he already knew there'd be a bruise. Even not having seen her in over a year, Sokka could identify the difference between an affectionate jab in the arm, and an angry I-really-want-to-hurt-you punch. This once, having a lot more bite than he remembered her even possessing, was obviously the later.

She didn't respond, instead looking away slightly as if not sure what to do next. Sokka took this time to study her. Her skin, even suntanned from all the time spent out doors was still unnaturally pale and relatively unblemished, aside from a few calluses here or there. Her black hair looked different now, he noted; it was cut shorter, falling just under shoulder length. Silently, he decided it suited her well. Also, possibly the most obvious change in her was her recent, uh…developments. Making sure not to let her notice, Sokka silently did the math on his fingers, marking her age as sixteen. It took a minute for that knowledge to sink in, but once it did, certain aspects of her maturing figure suddenly started to make more sense.

"A lot of things…" Toph admitted, but her face was starting to soften. "I haven't seen you in a while…"

"Well whose fault was that?" the tribesman countered. Another particularly painful jab _exactly_ where she'd hit him before, was quickly enough to tell him that wasn't the right answer. Sokka grimaced, rubbing his arm feverishly as he felt it already start to bruise. When had she gotten so _strong_?

"Okay okay, I get it! And may I say, _ow_? Keep that up and pretty soon I'm not sure I'll even have an arm left."

Toph couldn't help the smirk weaseling onto her face. "Well…I _have_ been working out…" she bragged while flexing her arm, which was admittedly still fairly scrawny. Without preamble the woman suddenly flicked her wrist, the earth responding immediately and forming two rock stools for them both to sit on. "So how is everyone? I hear Twinkletoes and Sugarqueen got hitched."

"Yeah, they did. And Katara pretty much had a fit when she realized you weren't coming," Sokka replied, planting himself down on the stool nearest him and watching as she did the same. "So this is where you've been hiding all this time, huh?"

"The Blind Bandit doesn't _hide_."

"Right, she just disappears without a trace for three years and never sends letters or even tells anyone when she's leaving," he retorted sarcastically, flinching away afterwards as if he expected to be hit again.

Instead, Toph just sighed. "Okay…maybe she hides a little bit. But you guys obviously did just fine without me."

Sokka bit his tongue. He didn't want to admit that he had spent the better part of his time without her wandering aimlessly; splitting his time between mooching off his little sister and lounging around the Firenation with nothing to do. And he _defiantly _didn't want to admit he'd spent nearly the entire first year – 1 – trying to translate the letter the servant had written for her to leave behind in case there was some sort of code there he wasn't aware of, – 2 – interviewing said servant to make sure Toph hadn't really been captured by the rebellion, – 3 – checking all their usual hangouts to make sure she wasn't just trying to avoid him, and – 4 – just living in a state of general overall moppiness. Of course the later hadn't been helped by the fact that it had been the same year Suki had left him; and the two incidents were, admittedly, related.

Regardless, rather than sound desperate like he knew he would if he'd admit all that, Sokka just shrugged. "Y-yeah…just fine…well I mean, like I said, Katara really misses you, and Aang talks about you all the time, and even the gloomy-dagger-twins seem more…uh…gloomy."

"You're exaggerating."

"No, really I'm not! That's why I'm here, so I can bring you back."

Toph leaned back in her seat, brushing the bangs off her cheek with one hand. "Bring me back? Why would I want to go back? I'm happy here," she replied, eyes staring out into the direction of his voice.

"But-but-but…what about us? I mean, you never even told us why you left in the first place," he stumbled.

"I left because there was no reason to stay. Everybody else had something. Aang had Katara, Katara had the South Pole, Zuko had the Firenation, Mai had Zuko, Iroh had his tea shop, and you had Suki _and_ Kyoshi Island_ and_ the South Pole_ and_ a family that gives a crap about you. Plus now, even without Suki, you'll still always have a place. Won't you, _ambassador_ Sokka?"

Sokka shifted nervously in his seat, unsure if she was teasing or just bitter when she emphasized his former title. "Actually…I'm not doing much ambassador-ing anymore. I got kind of…distracted," he admitted.

"Oh…" she muttered, a little surprised considering how well off he'd been the last time the earthbender had seen him. "Well I guess your girlfriend leaving you for Ty-Lee would be pretty distracting."

He flinched a little at that. "It wasn't like that. Ty-Lee came a while after."

"So why'd Suki end it?"

"Like I said, I was distracted."

Toph wasn't quite sure what to make of that. "Distracted huh?" she repeated, skimming her left foot along the dirt. Far off in the distance, she could feel the rest of her Freedom Fighters making sure to stray just out of earshot. It was nice knowing she could trust them not to eavesdrop.

"Yeah…anyway, so are you going to come back or what?" Sokka shimmied his way back to the matter at hand, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees as he watched her.

The earthbender shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. "No. But you're welcome to stay if you want."

He blinked. "Stay…here? As a Freedom Fighter? You're joking right?"

Without warning, Toph jumped from her seat and sunk their stools back into the ground, sending Sokka crashing to the ground in the process. The invitation had been on a whim, but suddenly, the more she thought about it, the better it sounded. "I'm serious. You still have space sword jr. right?"

"Yeah…but-"

"Well there you go. I know for a fact you're already better than Fish with a sword, plus this way you can use that Hawk thing to send messages to Katara and Aang, seeing how they missed me _so_ much. And it's not like you have anything better to do."

He stumbled to his feet, rubbing where he had fallen on his behind in the dirt as he did. "Hey! I do stuff…"

Toph smirked. "Sounds to me like you've became bum since I left. Come on Snoozles, you feel like you've put on a few pounds, you could use the exercise."

"Well now you're just trying to insult."

She didn't reply, instead the grin on her face widening. Sokka could practically see the gears in her head springing to life in her excitement, contemplating him as a potential Freedom Fighter. Honestly, he himself was less than keen on the idea. Had it not been for that look on her face he wouldn't have wasted anymore time on this thing at all. But the way her eyes sparkled, that slight gleam in them almost as bright as her smile, yeah...he'd missed that. In that second he decided he didn't care where they went, but that he didn't want to be without his friend again. Three years was _far_ too long, and he had the notion Toph would agree.

So it came down to the question, ironically, he'd been asking himself for three straight years now. Where? Where was she? Where was she going to go? And now, where was _he_ going to go?

And the answer was simple. It all depended on which one of them was the more stubborn. Sokka had complete confidence that he would–

* * *

"Just hold still, would you?"

"I can put on my _own_ war paint you know. I've been doing this since before you were born."

The girl in the corner picked up her head, green war paint already striped across her face. "He's exaggerating," Toph pointed out, sitting on the ground and picking absentmindedly at the dirt around them.

Sokka rolled his eyes, pulling back again when Smellerbee started lunging out her fingers in another failed attempt to smear pink paint across his cheek. "Even so, I know my way around war paint and if you do it it's going to come out all girly. Just give me the bowl and a mirror."

The youngest of the current trio turned back her head, glancing as if to check with Toph. Firmly, and with a wide smirk, she shook her head no. Smellerbee sighed, stretching out further towards Sokka and dodging as he tried to swat her hands away. "Freedom Fighter paint looks different. It has to be applied a different way."

"I don't care! I didn't even want to _be_ here in the first place!"

"Buck up Snoozles, I bet you'd look good in make-up."

The warrior gritted his teeth, narrowly avoiding another streak of pink headed right for his chin. "War. Paint. And for the record, I look _great_ in it, but not when it's applied by a girl!"

Smellerbee looked back over at Toph. "Does he always complain this much?"

"Oh yeah. But don't worry, you'll get used to it."

The younger girl sighed, already tuning Sokka out as he made another protest, this time about the color. _This was going to be a __**long**__ day._

But then she heard Toph giggle, a sound just a week ago she'd wouldn't have believed existed; but had heard already a million times just that morning, as if to make up for lost time. Smellerbee smiled. _At least she's happy…_

_

* * *

_

**Ta Da!**

**Please review our crappy story! We'd love it if you did! ... _ladies_**


	28. 97 Eternal

**Heh heh... Hey everybody. Long time no see, huh? *cringes***

**Okay okay, we're sorry for the sudden hiatus. As much as we'd love to give you the wonderful excuse you all deserve, the truth is that we just kind of lost intrest for a little while. Don't get us wrong, Avatar will always be our #1 and Tokka will always be our OTP, but we just had to take a break. Admittedly, neither me nor Marla are very reliable when it comes to updating, but we try our best. Either way, we're sorry for disappearing so suddenly and for such a long time.**

**Anyway, the main point is that we're back. This chapter isn't great, as most of it was written a long long long time ago in a galaxy not quite so far away, but we finished it up and its...uh...readable? Yeah lets go with that.**

_**Disclaimer Monster:**** *holding sparklers* "WHOO! WE BE BACK BABY! I tell you its been rough the past couple months. The job market is tough enough for humans, but for mysterious monster-creature-things who's soul purpose is to tell people that these two idiots don't own ATLA or any of its characters? Impossible! Its really nice to be working again ^-^**_

**And now, here's prompt #97: Eternal**

* * *

Ask her any day, and Toph would tell you the same thing. She was an Earthbender, through and through; and damn proud of it. From the way she walked to the way she thought, everything had to be stable and strong. But more than just that, her senses allowed her to 'see' deeper into a world other people could only imagine. It was a blessing. It was a curse. It was helpful, but it was also hell.

Listening to Mai complain about her boring, dull life, one thought would always go though Toph's head.

"_Lady, you have no idea…"_

Because in a world where every reaction can be analyzed and anticipated, she knew it was hard to find something interesting.

Animals were interesting. Nobody could completely predict how a wild moose-lion might react to her cub being placed in harm's way, or what a hungry badger-mole might do in the presence of a blind six year old girl. Yes, animals were full of surprises.

People, however, were not.

Sure, in the beginning everything was a mystery. Nobody knows what the stranger next to them is really thinking in their head, even if she did come close sometimes. But at a certain point, strangers became acquaintances. Their personalities usually matched her first impression of them, and life unwound just as Toph expected it to. Each person just playing a scripted character, their motivations and abilities already mapped out in front of her; sometimes before they even knew it themselves.

Katara was always the queen bee, the mother-figure. Aang was always the goofy kid with an unfair weight of the world on his shoulders. Zuko was always the hot-headed prince, fighting a war within himself every second of every day. Ty-Lee was Ty-Lee, Mai was Mai, Suki was Suki, her mother was her mother, and her father was always her father.

Maybe that's what made one of her closest friends really stand out to her. Even at such a young age, it was obvious there was something off about him from the start. He was always full of surprises. As clique as it might sound, Sokka was different then the rest.

Sure, at first he was nothing special. As a matter of fact, Toph often found herself wondering why he was even there in the first place. A non-bender? Obviously he was just riding his sister's coat tails. What could some _normal_ person possibly have to offer? In her opinion, he was barely worth her time.

Then he spoke. And she laughed.

Okay, maybe it wasn't that big of a deal. Any idiot can make people laugh. In fact, one might argue that _only_ an idiot can make people laugh. But there was something beyond that. Even though it didn't seem like it mattered at the time, slowly she started to realize something about him. He had wit.

Sure any moron could crack a cheesy one-liner, but there was something about the _way_ he made his sarcastic comments. Or maybe it was the timing. Looking back, even then she realized that the reason he suddenly became a subject of interest in her mind, wasn't because he was funny (in fact _most_ times his jokes weren't), but because he was _smart._

Yes, believe it or not, Sokka has a brain hidden somewhere under that thick layer of dumb jokes, meat, and an unhealthy attachment to inanimate weaponry. This reveal surprised her. Toph. The one who was _never_ surprised by anyone, except maybe a couple badger-moles she met once. The realization was intriguing, and before she knew it, that clumsy, ponytail-wearing, dunderhead became her new case study. A pet project if you will.

Digging deeper into his character, rather than become disappointed like she had expected from the start, Toph only became more impressed. She learned that Sokka could do things a lot of others in the group had no idea how to do. For one, he could read a map; something that not even Aang or Katara seemed to fully understand without getting them lost every time. It was a simple ability, but defiantly an overlooked one. He also could track and hunt and sometimes even (reluctantly) forage for more vegetation-friendly snacks for those who were 'too good' to bite into a perfectly fine rabbit-squirrel burger. (*cough*twinkle-toes*cough*)

And of course, something that especially gained him her respect (even if she would never _ever _admit it to his face) was his tactical ability. The boy planned out an entire invasion force almost singlehandedly; a process hidden behind the scenes as Aang's recovery took center stage. Watching him (from afar of course) the earthbender could sense stress levels she, herself, had never even came close to matching. Every detail was carefully handled and scrutinized, making sure there could be no room for failure. All the rest of them had to do was show up. And although the plan itself failed, the work he had put into it was impressive to say the least.

And yes, Sokka had a big mouth and two left feet; but deeper than that, deep deep deep down, he had heart. He was patriotic and spirited and creative and versatile…and confusing as hell. It got to the point that even Toph, the great genius that she was, couldn't even guess as to what he might do next. It was frustrating. It was annoying. It was…interesting.

* * *

As for him, Sokka was even _more_ confused. One minute she'd shout death threats, the next she'd be saving his ass; from laughing in his face, to crying at his side in an instant. And he had thought Katara was a confusing bundle of hormones, but Toph…Toph was a whole other level of crazy.

The girl had a plan, he could recognize that much. No doubt everything made sense when one connected the dots. Unfortunately he was working in the dark, so to speak. As scattered pieces of a mind he only occasionally caught a glimpse of, nothing made any sense whatsoever.

This girl, this _twelve_ year old girl, could bring grown men to tears without even trying. She had a sharp wit, and an even sharper tongue to match. Even Sokka, in all of his intuitive genius, never would've suspected that a manic killing machine could be bundled up in such a cute little package. It would seem the spirits had an interesting sense of humor.

And yet, there were moments when he'd seen her rock solid wall crumble and deep down, deep deep deep down, there sat exactly what one might expect. A very real little girl fighting with issues and insecurities he didn't always quite understand. She had layers that kept him guessing at each turn. Sokka never knew what to expect; the Toph of his dreams, or the Toph of his nightmares. It was frustrating. It was annoying. It was…interesting.

So Sokka, always eager for a new mystery to solve, and Toph, always eager for a surprise, started to study each other intensely. She with her feet, singling out his vibrations, knowing that he'd never guess what she was really up to; and he with his eyes, thankful that she would never catch his steady gaze analyzing her every move. Neither would've guessed that they were the subject of a study, but that's exactly what they'd become to each other. Mutual science experiments.

* * *

Only once, does Sokka fear his study may be coming to an end. Only once is Toph afraid that there would be no more surprises. That fateful morning where they both woke up in their separate beds at the same time, only mere feet and a paper thin wall away from one another; though it may as well had been miles of separation.

They go without seeing each other the whole day. Sokka wastes his time painting, but glorious stick figures smiling up at him aren't enough to let him forget this fear. This strange, irrational fear that he may very well be loosing his best friend. That, any day after this one, he could very well wake up and the case will be solved. There would be nothing left for him to obsess over. Nothing left for him to study.

Toph spends it with Katara, who, with her horrible, mother-like superpowers of observation, can somehow tell exactly what she's thinking. The waterbender tries her best to keep the girl's mind elsewhere – flowers, dresses, cake – but, predictably, this fails. Hell, Toph wouldn't have been interested in that kind of stuff on a good day, much less today. All she can think about is that nagging fear that's been plaguing her mind for far longer than she'd give it credit for. The fear that Sokka would start to get…boring.

By the time Aang (enthusiastically) and Zuko (slightly less so) come to drag him off, dress him fancy, and prop him up nice where he currently stands, Sokka is scared shitless.

When Katara, Ty-Lee, Suki, her mother, and (a very reluctant) Mai are done with her, Toph very nearly forgets to be afraid until it's too late. Then, suddenly, there's music playing out of nowhere and she just wants to bury herself deep underground and tunnel away from this whole mess before they make her walk through that damned door.

Only when they're standing next to one another, sweating under the heavy cloths and the watchful eyes and the pressure they're both practically drowning in, do they stop thinking and just look at each other.

Toph takes a breath and listens purely to his heart. Sokka lets his out and watches her rouge-colored face.

He's still scared shitless, but Sokka doesn't like how wide her eyes have grown, how she's biting her lip enough to drain color. As a means of comfort, he reaches out. Calloused fingers graze her gown. He's trying to find her hand but his movements are jerky and nervous and far too awkward. Instead of her hand, his own hand smacks against something else when he tries to lift it away.

Toph flinches. The man in front of them is still blabbering on about something, but that doesn't stop the Earthbender from stepping back and punching Sokka in the chest as hard as she can.

"Did you just _spank_ me snoozles?"

The room gets quiet. Somewhere in the crowd, Mai actually perks up. It's fairly certain the smack of Hakoda's hand meeting his forehead is audible even to those in the back row.

Sokka gulps, his face now akin to that of a well-ripened tomato. "No! I-I...you're hand! I…where's your hand?" His voice reaches an octave it hasn't managed since fifteen. One the current Toph can't even reach.

Arms cross over her chest, a single eyebrow goes up. "…My hand?"

"Yes! I was trying to hold your hand! You just looked so nervous and I wanted to help, but I didn't know how so I was planning to hold your hand but I couldn't find it and I guess I might have accidently hit you and…"

He's still ranting, but Toph's calmer than she lets on. She can feel his heart nearly trying to burst through his ribcage. Sokka was spazzing out because he had no idea what the penalty for ruining this day might be, especially when coming from a master Earthbender who admittedly enjoyed bashing his skull on a _good_ day.

The crowd was shifting nervously amongst themselves, embarrassed for him. Several people were whispering. Toph swallowed a laugh.

"Hey snoozles…"

He didn't seem to hear her. Sokka's eyes flickered across the uncomfortable crowd, the view only upsetting him further. Toph smirked.

With that as her only warning, the petite Earthbender was suddenly yanking down his collar, crashing her lips to his and effectively shutting him up. Sokka's heart was still racing, but now for an entirely different reason.

There were wolf-whistles. There were gasps. There was a groan nearby from a very annoyed master of ceremonies that didn't like to be interrupted. And if Toph listened just closely enough, she was fairly certain she could hear the brains of her own parents simultaneously self-destructing.

After that, Toph snapped at the grey-haired man closest to where they stood and demanded him to paraphrase under threat of a bolder to the head. The ceremony was over in a matter of minutes.

Afterwards there was dancing and eating and teasing and lots and lots of drinking.

More importantly though, they realized that as long as they both lived, Toph was always going to be frustrating and unpredictable and weird, just like Sokka was always going to be stupid and smart and even weirder.

The word boring just didn't seem to fit into their vocabulary.

* * *

**Pfft! Tokka? Boring? Never!**

**Sorry if anything seems ooc. Really though, its been a while and the writing process for this was really weird.**

**On another note, if it gets decent reviews (and it probably won't) we might just put this into our new random avatar stories collection. We just started it this morning and you should check it out on our profile sometime.**

**Yes, shameless plug is shameless...**


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